At Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, Idaho, the busiest time of year revolves around what locals call “fly-in” and “fly-out” days. This marks the comings and goings of private jets full of billionaires heading to the annual Allen & Company Summit in nearby Sun Valley, a mountain resort that brings together the world’s most powerful elites every July.
Combined with the busy summer travel season, the convention “definitely makes it the busiest week of the year for us here,” Tim Burke, director of Friedman Memorial Airport, told the Observer before last year’s event. This year, the event’s “fly-in” and “check-out” days will take place on July 7 and July 11. By 2025, the airport saw the arrival of between 150 and 175 corporate jets on the first day, Burke said.
Silicon Valley heavyweights like Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook made the 2026 conference guest list, along with media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Bob Iger and Michael Bloomberg. But what exactly they were up to at the annual event, which is often described as a “billionaire summer camp,” remains a mystery.
Hosted by investment firm Allen & Co. since the 1980s, this secret conference includes lectures, meetings and panels that remain behind closed doors and mostly off limits to the media. A busy networking week has a reputation for creating big deals. It is often credited with influencing Jeff Bezos’ 2013 decision to acquire The Washington Post and The Walt Disney Company’s 1996 merger with ABC.
Preparations begin months in advance
Friedman Memorial Airport requires months of preparation to meet the mechanical demands of the annual influx of aircraft—a task made even more challenging by its single runway and rugged terrain. About four months before the date of Allen & Co. “flying”, the airport begins coordination meetings with the local air traffic control tower and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel in Salt Lake City, Utah. “We want to make sure, early on, that we’re on the same page with arrival procedures, departure procedures, basic procedures, and that clear lines of communication are established,” Burke said.
Managing air traffic is only part of the challenge. Linking that flow to ground density is equally complex. If arrival rates exceed the aircraft parking lot, for example, the systems can be gridlocked. By building a close relationship with the airport’s various agencies, Burke said the agency has “built a well-functioning machine to deal with this type of event without major problems.”
Another priority for Burke and his staff is to minimize the impact on local residents. To that end, the airport runs a voluntary year-round noise reduction program that asks planes to avoid operating between 11pm and 7am—a program that Burke said has resulted in a high level of compliance.
Overall, Burke believes increased air travel is a boon to the region. “While I don’t understand the fact that not everyone likes airplane noise, I think the overall impact on our local economy—our hotels, restaurants, bars, transportation, companies and boutique stores—is positive,” Burke said. “I am proud of the role our airport plays in connecting this amazing mountain valley to the rest of the world.”
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 7, 2025. It has been updated to reflect the latest information for this year’s Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference.
