The private jet believed to be owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs has left New Zealand – just a day after it was spotted at Auckland Airport.

A traveller at Air New Zealand’s Koru Lounge in Auckland Airport said he saw the US$60 million ($96m) jet take off about 2.15pm today.

Soon after he posted the photos to Reddit, writing, “Diddy’s plane just left Auckland airport, wonder who’s on it?”.

A traveller captured the private jet moments after it took off from Auckland Airport. Photo / Brad H

The Instagram account @celebrityjets, which tracks the whereabouts of private jets belonging to the rich and famous, also shared a screenshot of the jet departing New Zealand’s shores before 3pm.

On Wednesday, the same account had posted a screenshot of the jet, which has the registration N1969C / SIS69, supposedly entering the country.

As the aircraft is private, flight tracking data isn’t easily accessible. On Flightradar24′s website a message reads: “This aircraft (SIS69) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator”.

A live view on the website on Friday afternoon showed a G550 flying northeast of New Zealand towards French Polynesia. While it is the same aircraft type as the one belonging to the rapper, it is unclear if it is the same one – though it appears to be the only one of its kind flying in the area.

On Thursday, the distinctive all-black jet was sighted at the airport’s C1 parking stand – which is generally reserved for private aircraft – prompting social media speculation on why it could be in Auckland.

One user in the private Auckland Airport Spotting Facebook group, which has several thousand members, asked: “Why is P Diddy’s black Gulfstream in Auckland? It’s at C1 now”.

The aircraft is understood to be legally owned by United States company LoveAir LLC.

It’s widely reported to belong to the 54-year-old music mogul. Video footage of Combs disembarking the craft was published in 2022, Reuters reported.

While it’s unknown what led to the jet’s mysterious visit to New Zealand’s shores, Combs was definitely not on it because he is currently being held at a detention centre in the United States after being arrested on September 16 and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering.

The rapper pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court and remains in custody in Brooklyn, New York.

On Wednesday the Daily Mail reported a lawyer announced around 120 alleged victims are to sue Combs and others for rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

“This is an important matter that we intend to aggressively pursue,” said Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee.

“We will leave no stone unturned to find all potentially liable parties, to include any individual or entity who participated in or benefited from this egregious behaviour.”

Allegations against the musician have been mounting since 2023 when artist Cassie, real name Cassandra Ventura, accused Combsof subjecting her to years of coercion by physical force and drugs, as well as a 2018 rape.

In March, Homeland Security raided propertiesin Los Angeles and Miami owned by Combs as part of a federal investigation into sex trafficking and racketeering.

While the homes were searched the Gulfstream G550 was spotted in the Caribbean, with TMZ publishing photographs of it grounded at an airport in Antigua.