Drake on Tuesday addressed the misinformed outrage over his plane’s frequent flights between Toronto and Hamilton.
“This is just them moving planes to whatever airport they are being stored at for anyone who was interested in the logistics,” Drake commented on Instagram. “Nobody takes that flight.”
Dozens of clickbait articles popped up online after @CelebJets tweeted last week that the rapper’s Boeing 767 made the 70-kilometre trip on June 17, June 28, July 12 and July 22.
What @CelebJets and those media outlets did not mention is that the plane regularly goes between Toronto (where Drake lives) and Hamilton (where the plane is stored) without Drake onboard.
It was not reported, for example, that on July 12 the plane flew from its hangar in Hamilton to Toronto to pick up Drake for his flight to Europe. On July 22 it returned to Toronto to drop him off and then proceeded to its home base in Hamilton.
Planes of all types – private, commercial and cargo – regularly hopscotch between airports.
Still, Drake was blasted on social media.
“Canadians will complain about climate change then pay thousands to go to the next Drake concert, acting like he isn’t taking his private jet on flights from Hamilton to Toronto,” tweeted Temur Durrani of The Globe and Mail.
Podcaster Jesse Hawken fumed: “Drake is part of the problem, taking multiple 15 minute flights to Hamilton and back while the environment is collapsing. Dude, take the GO train ffs.”
Hamilton-based Cargojet Inc. announced in 2019 it was providing Drake with the jet, branded Air Drake, in a deal that has the rap superstar serving as an “ambassador” for the company.
Last year, Drake partnered with Aspiration to help reduce his carbon footprint.