Away from the sporting action at The Masters, there is one story which often peaks the interest of the casual golf fan every April - the extraordinary number of private jets at Augusta Regional Airport.
It is an airport which - for roughly 50 weeks of the year - sees no more than a few thousand people pass through its gates every seven days. As recently as 2022, just two airlines flew to four cities from there on a regular basis.
Yet, for up to a fortnight every Spring, little old Bush Field is transformed into an unrecognizable state - one which appears to mirror a smaller international airport.
The airport's website even has a specific section dedicated to special Masters-flight needs which include catering options, hotel transfers, and car services.
Remarkably, the number of private jets located around 12 miles from Augusta National Golf Club seems to grow every year, with 1,500 aircraft reported on site last year but more than 2,000 expected to be parked up during Masters week in 2026.
Many of the planes which touch down will belong to golfers and their teams as well as some of the most famous Augusta National members, with the club home to a number of billionaires and high-net-worth individuals.
A video uploaded to social media by The VIP Seat claimed The Masters turns Augusta Regional Airport into "one of the busiest [Instrument Flight Rules] hotspots on the planet, with Augusta Regional (AGS) seeing more than 2,000 private jets in a single week and tower hours stretched from dawn to late night to keep up with the flow of arrivals and departures."
Providing a little more context behind the scale of the operation, one of the runways at AGS is shut down exclusively for parking private jets.
And, currently, Bush Field charges between $150 - $4,000 per aircraft per day to park there - depending on the size of the plane - as well as a landing fee of $4.01 per 1,000 lbs if the aircraft weighs over 12,500 lbs. Loose change if you own a private jet, one would assume.
The VIP Seat went on to say the airspace sees "nonstop streams of Gulfstreams, Globals, and Citations shooting approaches in tightly managed IFR flows" and that "behind every leaderboard change there’s an invisible ballet of crews, controllers, and ground teams squeezing every minute of daylight to move aircraft safely, then flipping the field for night departures as patrons head home from Augusta National."
Speaking to Front Office Sports, Jet Linx VP of marketing Nicole Swickle said: “I feel like they keep getting there earlier and earlier every year.
“Because obviously golf is Thursday to Sunday, but you’re seeing people come in as early as Easter, which is kind of wild this year.”
As a result of the sheer number of planes arriving and departing the area, other local airports have to help out with housing aircraft during Masters week - such as Aiken Regional Airport in South Carolina.
And due to the growing demand, NetJets - which sponsors a number of PGA Tour golfers - is building a new private terminal at AGS specifically for The Masters.
NetJets claims it operated 580 arrivals and departures to and from 36 different US states in 2025. The year before, there was 430. In 2026, it expects to see 775 movements.
Discussing the new terminal, which does not yet have a completion date, AGS Executive Director Herbert L. Judon, Jr said: “The NetJets terminal marks a significant business development milestone for the Augusta Regional Airport.
“It will deliver premier customer service, increase airport activities, and provide a significant economic infusion for the airport and the region.”
