Target jet returns to Minneapolis ahead of annual shareholder meeting

Target Corporation's Gulfstream G280, tail number N686BE, touched down at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on June 9 at 11:59 a.m. local time after a 2-hour-7-minute flight from Asheville, North Carolina. The jet climbed to 45,025 feet and reached a top speed of 497.8 knots, completing a brisk return to the retailer's home base.

The timing is no coincidence. Target Corporation holds its annual general meeting on June 10, and this year's gathering carries unusual weight. A labor-affiliated investor group, SOC Investment Group, along with Trillium Asset Management and Mercy Investment Services, is urging shareholders to vote against former CEO Brian Cornell and lead independent director Christine Leahy, per a filing covered by Yahoo Finance. The activists cite strategic missteps, including the rollback of DEI initiatives and a tepid response to ICE raids at Target's Minnesota locations. CEO Michael Fiddelke, who took over in February, delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings on May 20, but the group argues one quarter does not erase five years of underperformance.

The flight caps a busy week for N686BE, which previously shuttled through California, Georgia, and North Carolina. The pattern reflects Target's habit of consolidating executive travel ahead of high-stakes corporate events — boardroom battles included.