Target's Gulfstream G280 heads to Minot as the retailer tests its back-to-school turnaround

Target Corporation's Gulfstream G280, tail number N585PL, was tracked flying from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to Minot International Airport on June 25, 2026, a 1-hour 27-minute hop at 43,025 feet. The aircraft is the second-largest in the retailer's three-jet fleet, which shuttles executives between headquarters and field operations.

If Target was aboard, the timing would align with the company's aggressive back-to-school push, which Retail Dive this week called "the first test of its turnaround" under a new CEO. The retailer launched limited-edition collabs with LoveShackFancy and Hollister, along with 50% off Target Circle 360 memberships — moves that analysts say will determine whether early traffic gains have legs. Minot sits near several Target distribution centers and stores in the upper Plains, making the trip a plausible operational review of seasonal inventory and staffing ahead of the July 5 debut of the exclusive collection.

The flight follows a pattern of recent hops: on June 23, the same aircraft flew from Minneapolis to the Dallas area, and on June 22 it returned to Minneapolis from Los Angeles, per celebplanes. With shareholder support for executive chair Brian Cornell dropping to its lowest level ever at the June 10 annual meeting — 87.2%, per 10bmnews — and second-quarter earnings due August 19, the Minot visit could mark one more stop in a summer of proving the turnaround has legs.