Summary
- flyExclusive offers private jet experiences with over 100 aircraft globally
- Flexjet operates a fleet of 261 aircraft with a market share of 3.3%
- Vistajet pioneers in on-demand flights with over 360 modern aircraft.
Private aviation has seen a significant increase in recent years. Whether it is fractional ownership of jets, leases, or just chartered flights, private aviation is rising globally. Large private jet management companies offer various services to their customers worldwide. With private charters being one of the major businesses, these companies operate large fleets.
Simple Flying compiled a list of private jet companies with the largest fleet based on the information from PrivateJetCardCompanisons.com.
5 flyExclusive
Fleet size: 100+ aircraft
| Operations | Specifications |
|---|---|
| 2022 Flight Hours | 56,601 |
| 2021 Flight Hours | 47,707 |
| Total Share | 1.0% |
Founded in 2014, flyExclusive owns and operates private jet experience, including Jet Club and private jet charter services. Headquartered in Kinston, North Carolina, the company provides services across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Photo: WanderWolf Images | Shutterstock
According to the company,
“Our leadership team uses decades of flying experience, industry knowledge in private jet experiences and expertise in fleet logistics and management to deliver a premium experience every time out of the gate. With services provided across North America, Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia and beyond, our floating fleet of more than 100 aircraft are ready to take you wherever you dream of flying.”
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It primarily operates a modern fleet of Cessna Citation aircraft, including Citation Encore, CJ3, Excel, Sovereign, and the Citation X. The company also has Gulfstream G IV aircraft in the large aircraft category. The company logged over 56,000 flight hours in 2022, a 1.9% increase over the previous year. It has a market share of 1.0%.
4 Flexjet
Fleet size: 261 aircraft
| Operations | Specifications |
|---|---|
| 2022 Flight Hours | 183,548 |
| 2021 Flight Hours | 178,053 |
| Total Share | 3.3% |
Flexjet is a US-based aircraft management company providing fractional ownership, leasing, and jet card services worldwide. Founded in 1995, Flexjet has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a division of Bombardier Aerospace and is currently owned by a private investment firm called Directional Aviation.
Photo : Mike Fuchslocher | Shutterstock
Flexjet has a fleet size of 261 private aircraft, with more planes on order. It operates a modern fleet of Embraer Phenom and Praetor, Bombardier Challenger, and Gulfstream G450 and G650 aircraft. Flexjet expects to receive its ultra-long-range Gulfstream G700 aircraft soon. The company logged over 180,000 flight hours in 2022, a 3.1% increase over the previous year. It has a market share of 3.3%.
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3 Vistajet
Fleet size: 360 aircraft
| Operations | Specifications |
|---|---|
| 2022 Flight Hours | 151,192 |
| 2021 Flight Hours | 148,094 |
| Total Share | 2.7% |
Vistajet is a subsidiary of Vista Global Holding, a private aviation group based in Dubai. Founded in 2004, the company primarily offers its customers a “pay for hours flows” service structure worldwide. Headquartered in Luqa, Malta, Vistajet pioneers in on-demand flights rather than scheduled flights. Moreover, most jets are owned by the company and are leased to customers hourly rather than on lease terms.
Photo: Robert Buchel | Shutterstock
Vistajet has a fleet of over 360 modern aircraft, primarily operating the Bombardier Global and Challenger business jets. The company fliers nearly half a million passengers each year onboard its mid-to-large cabin ultra-long-range aircraft. Vistajet logged over 150,000 flight hours in 2022, a 2.7% increase over the previous year. It has a market share of 3.3%.
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2 NetJets
Fleet size: 750 aircraft
| Operations | Specifications |
|---|---|
| 2022 Flight Hours | 598,477 |
| 2021 Flight Hours | 546,153 |
| Total Share | 10.9% |
NetJets is one of the largest private jet companies, with over half a million flying hours yearly. Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it became the world’s first private jet company. The company entered the fractional ownership market in 1986 and became a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway in 1998.
Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock.com
NetJets operates a diverse fleet of over 750 private aircraft. The fleet comprises over 100 Embraer Phenom 300, over 280 Cessna Citation aircraft (XLS, Sovereign, Latitude, and Longitude), Bombardier Challenger 350 and 650, and Global 5000/6000/7500. The company also has a handful of Dassault Falcon 2000EX in its European fleet.
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NetJets logged nearly 600,000 flight hours in 2022, a 9.6% increase over the previous year. It has a market share of 10.9%.
1 Wheels Up
Fleet size: 1,250+ aircraft
| Operations | Specifications |
|---|---|
| 2022 Flight Hours | 167,641 |
| 2021 Flight Hours | 175,440 |
| Total Share | 3.0% |
The annual operations of Wheels Up may be less than NetJets, but it provides access to over 1,250 aircraft to its customers. Founded in 2013 with a membership/on-demand business model, the company has become one of the largest private jet service providers. In August 2023, Delta Air Lines purchased a 95% stake in Wheels Up to rescue it from financial crisis.
Photo: William R. Goodwin | USN
From King Air 350s and Cessna Citations to Bombardier Challenger and Gulfstream G series, Wheels Up operates a modern fleet of over 1,250 aircraft. The company logged over 165,000 flight hours in 2022, a 4.4% decrease from the previous year. It has a market share of 3.0%. Working under Delta Air Lines’ leadership, the company aims to offer greater reliability and diversity of services to its customers.
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