What are the best private jet charter companies for your private flights? There are different options available and which one is the most suitable for you is highly individual and depends on various variables. We are going to take a look at our top ten private jet companies and charters globally. But first, we need to consider the different types of private jet charter companies as well as the different business models out there.
We first ran an article looking at the private jet and charter jet market and the market’s key players back in 2018. It was well-received, so that we offered an update in 2021, in light of the changes in the aviation landscape from a highly volatile year in 2020, during the COVID-19-pandemic. So, now, after the pandemic, it is high time for yet another update to this blogpost.
Different Types of Private Jet Charter Companies and Business Models
There are not necessarily many different types of private jet charter businesses; they all share a common thread: lining up clients with available seats. Rather, the distinction between types of service lies in how they model their business: Some providers sell fractional jet ownership, others offer jet card programs or on-demand charter services.
With providers that sell fractional ownership to their clients, the client essentially purchases a percentage of the aircraft and the associated support, and their usage is pro-rata to the percentage owned.
Other private jet companies sell blocks of time in predetermined increments. The client determines how much usage of the private jet they require and accordingly purchases a block of hours, ostensibly lowering the overall cost.
Pay-as-you-fly is another model – although perhaps less sought after since the lack of any outlay of cash or ownership generally makes it harder to secure space availability.
The model which sounds most appealing, but is perhaps the most difficult to cultivate, is that of paying a flat rate for unlimited access and usage. A number of companies have promised this and subsequently gone down in flames. It is unclear how a jet charter business could turn a profit on this model when requiring a practically limitless pool of aircraft and pilots, which simply does not exist: All certified aircraft go down for routine, scheduled maintenance, and the supply of qualified aircrews is finite.
Private Jet Companies and Charters: Our Top 10
#1: NetJets
NetJets is a Berkshire Hathaway company and the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in private aviation”. Founded in 1964 as the first private jet charter company, NetJets today is both the oldest and largest private jet company globally.
As of February 2025, NetJets operates and maintains the world’s largest luxury private jet fleet of around 780 jets of more than 10 aircraft types across five jet classes and continually grows its fleet. With over 40% of their aircraft being less than five years old, they maintain a fleet that is, compared to most operators, significantly younger.
NetJets organizes over 1,200 worldwide flights each day. They support flights to over 5,000 airports across more than 200 countries and territories. They work with over 12,500 fractional owners worldwide and have more than 40 Fortune 100 companies as their customers.
NetJets offers its clients three different program options for membership and use:
- NetJets Card Program: This all-inclusive private jet card program requires minimal commitment of typically 25-hour increments of use over a 24 month period. These prepaid flight hours are an ideal entry-level solution for users who will fly less than 50 hours annually and have occasional, flexible travel plans or favour short-term agreements. Users of this program have up to 320 days of reliable annual access to 6 jet models.
- NetJets Lease Program: This program is ideal for clients who plan to fly over 50 hours per year but prefer to lease rather than own any portion of the asset. Costs are guaranteed for the term of the lease, with a minimum contract period of 36 months.
- NetJets Share Program: NetJets Share is a program for private jet fractional ownership with a commitment of 36 months minimum. It is the right option for clients who plan to fly over 50 hours annually and want to own a portion of the fleet. This premier program allows the client to purchase a share of a specific aircraft in 25-hour increments, to which they are guaranteed certain access rights. The added benefit of the Share program is an unrivaled access to 9 jet models 365 days of the year. If your aircraft type is not available, you get a similar model or the next tier up, if available.
#2: Wheels Up
Founded in 2013, Wheels Up is still a relative newcomer at only 12 years old, but already one of the largest private aviation companies worldwide. It is an example of a company transitioning away from traditional "old money" mindsets and using technology, much like Uber or Lyft, to schedule flights on short notice. That is, Wheels Up basically offers “on demand” private aviation, proclaiming maximum travel flexibility and convenience.
Wheels Up offers private flights to almost any destination worldwide. Their aircraft options include access to a global network of more than 1,500 private jets both from their owned fleet and vetted partner aircraft, with dozens of aircraft types across six aircraft categories of all sizes.
It is crucial to distinguish that Wheels Up is like Uber and Lyft since an app or the website is used to schedule short notice. However, it is still very much a private jet charter company in that you must pre-purchase a plan or package. Clients can choose between two private flying options: charter or membership.
The Wheels Up Membership offers global access with guaranteed aircraft availability and recovery within the Continental U.S. and Europe. Memberships include dynamic rates and price protection. Clients can choose between
- Individual Membership, starting at $100,000
- Small and Medium Enterprise Solutions, starting at $250,000
- Custom Enterprise Solutions, starting at $500,000
Wheels Up Charter allows you to book dynamically priced private aircraft from a global network of private jets for groups of any size. With this program, you earn rewards as you fly: For every $50,000 spent on Charter flights, clients receive 2% back in flight credit.
#3: VistaJet
Truly a global charter company, VistaJet flies passengers to 2,400 airports in 96% of all countries worldwide. It was founded in 2004 and is “the world’s leading business jet service”. VistaJet is the only private jet company that offers its own fleet global services. A number of companies charter private aircraft across the globe, but no others do so entirely by their personal fleet.
VistaJet has set the bar high by abolishing aircraft positioning fees for their Program members and operates a global fleet of over 300 Global and Challenger jets serving 187 countries worldwide. VistaJet is under the umbrella of Vista Global, which also owns XO, and although they are no longer necessarily competitors, they remain two separate entities.
VistaJet offers three types of private jet memberships, all of which are investment free and can be customized to the client’s needs:
- Program: The VistaJet Program is suited for both personal and corporate clients and is an alternative to owning a private jet. It offers guaranteed aircraft availability globally and every day of the year, with a fixed hourly rate – you pay only as you fly.
- VJ25: The VJ25 membership requires minimum commitment and is ideal for clients that travel between 25 to 49 hours annually. The membership runs 3 years and offers guaranteed aircraft availability on all non-peak and most peak days.
- Corporate: The Corporate private jet membership is VistaJets’ solution for business travel. With a corporate membership, you benefit from guaranteed availability on your contracted aircraft globally and every day of the year, with only 24 hours’ notice and a fixed hourly rate – you pay only as you fly.
#4: XO GLOBAL LLC
In 2018, Vista Global, the parent company of VistaJet, acquired ownership of XOJET to include commercial operations. After acquiring JetSmarter in 2019, Vista Global merged XOJET with the JetSmarter mobile app and rebranded it as XO, powered by JetSmarter technology. Functionally speaking, XO remains a significant player in the private jet charter market.
XO prides itself on being “the world’s premiere private aviation network” and offers access to one of the industry’s most extensive fleets with 2,400 safety-vetted jets globally, including the Vista Members’ fleet. XO’s private jet fleet ranges from light jets to super-midsize and ultra-long-range aircraft – they operate a fleet of Bombardier Challenger 300 jets and Cessna Citation X jets. Private jet charters and shared flights to thousands of airports and destinations across the globe can be booked from the XO mobile app.
XO offers different membership options – XO Membership and XO Reserve. XO Memberships are refundable and members benefit from advantages such as priority fleet access, up to 4% in loyalty credit with every flight, and event opportunities.
#5: Magellan Jets
Magellan Jets is another leading private aviation company. As a private aviation provider, Magellan Jets does not own a fleet. Rather, they charter everything from King Air 90s to heavy Gulfstream G650s and cover all the bases globally through an extensive network of aircraft owners – the Magellan Jets Preferred Network (MJPN) comprising access to thousands of aircraft.
Offering both personal and corporate memberships, Magellan has a program that will suit everyone. The corporate membership – the Business Jet Card – guarantees benefits such as aircraft availability within 6 hours each day of the year, no peak fees or blackout dates, and Wi-Fi availability on all mid-size and larger jets.
The personal membership – the Personal Jet Card – offers two subcategories: the Premium Jet Card and the Category Jet Card. Clients can customize the amount of hours anticipated in blocks from 25 to 200+, tailor perks, add-ons, and options and, depending on the subcategory chosen, select a specific aircraft type or an aircraft size range (no specific aircraft). Private clients can book their private jet charter flights via the Magellan Jets Private Clients App.
#6: Jettly
Jettly advertises to be “a leader in private jet charter at the touch of a button”. As opposed to the previous companies, the feel of their website is distinctly Uber-ish with an app that allows clients to check fares and schedule flights all from their smartphone – in fact, the company brands itself as “just like Expedia, but for private jets”. Clients can book specific on-demand charters without any commitment, but Jettly also offers different memberships and jet cards as well as private jet lease and fractional jet ownership.
Jettly offers access to a network of more than 20,000 aircraft of operators worldwide. The private jet charter clearly shows that they offer aircraft of all sizes, including single-engine piston airplanes, as well as helicopters. This does come in handy because chartering is not a one-size-fits-all business; the needs of a corporate executive in Los Angeles are very different from those required by, say, an oil rig foreman in the far reaches of West Texas. Jettly can hook you up with options for either one.
#7: Superior Air Charter
Superior Air Charter, formerly JetSuite – not to be confused with their subsidiary JetSuiteX, which has been renamed JSX – has been in the charter business since 2006, after Alex Wilcox left JetBlue. Originally branded Magnum Jets, financial backers pushed the rebranding effort in 2008, and JetSuite had been the namesake ever since. However, JetSuite filed for bankruptcy during the COVID-19-pandemic and operations recommenced in November 2020 as Superior Air Charter.
With its fleet of Phenom 100 jets, Superior has its emphasis on short-distance, intercity flights with focus on the Texas Triangle – Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. In having a fleet of similar aircraft, they can keep rates down.
#8: Victor
The on-demand private jet charter company Victor has compiled an extensive network of over 200 operators to partner with, offering jets of all sizes to clients globally. Victor offers on-demand flights to 13,339 airports in the US as well as to 4,000 airports in 157 countries internationally. The Victor app allows you to request quotes and book flights.
Victor only lists operators that maintain a valid Air Operator Certificate (AOC). The company requires all partner operators to comply with ISO-9001 standards and provides this information to all clients, ensuring that prospective passengers are fully aware of the criteria which their aircrew and aircraft have met.
Victor offers an "Empty Leg" service, which shows all available space seating on jets that have been chartered and will have empty seats on the return leg. If any of these are compatible, the client is able to inquire and receive a quote on that single leg, which can save you costs of up to 75% compared to conventional private jet charter flights.
The empty leg is a real benefit on several levels: environmentally, because it does no favors to fly an empty jet, vice a full jet, and it benefits the owner’s bottom line to have paying customers on both legs. Commercial airlines always fill seats when they build routes, ensuring paying customers will embark and disembark at every destination. In contrast, charters are generally booked on a one-way sort of arrangement.
Members of Victor Alto, the first frequent-flier points program for private jet charter, collect points for every booking with Victor or any of their Alto partners.
#9: GlobeAir
Founded in 2007, GlobeAir is the self-proclaimed “#1 Private Jet Charter”. It is the leading private jet charter company in Europe, offering on-demand charter flights for both business and leisure.
GlobeAir flies to more than 984 airports in Europe, thus covering 90% of European airports. Serving the European community exclusively, GlobeAir is unlike many competitors in that it owns and operates its fleet of jets. Zeroing in on the air taxi market in Europe, solely using Cessna Citation Mustang jets, a small jet that only requires one pilot crew, substantially lowering labor costs.
GlobeAir offers a jet card program for frequent flyers as an alternative to fractional jet ownership or owning a jet. Moreover, GlobeAir, like Victor, also offers empty leg booking with discount up to 90% to ensure that every mile is a productive and environmentally sound mile.
An exciting twist to their business mile is GlobeAir’s express air cargo service for urgent documents and small parcels, as well as spare parts up to 136kg.
#10: Oxygen Aviation Limited
In the international market, Oxygen Aviation has been a fixture of the market for about 20 years now, based out of the UK with offices in London and Madrid. Oxygen provides on-demand private jet charter service for business and leisure travel to almost any airport worldwide. Oxygen Aviation offer two different options of private jet booking:
- With their on-demand private jet charter service, clients book a private charter aircraft for one specific trip. The price quoted for the charter is for the entire aircraft. This, of course, differs from fractional ownership in that chartering is a one-off agreement with no long term financial commitments.
- The Oxygen Aviation Jet Card is the ideal option for clients who often fly in Europe. It offers guaranteed pricing and availability of aircraft with preferred terms and service.
Oxygen Aviation is a charter service with access to more than 4,800 private aircraft, rather than the owner of a fleet. This gives them the flexibility to offer a vast array of aircraft in their available fleet, of every size and type globally, from helicopters through light jets and turboprops, all the way to ultra long range jets and executive airliners (BBJ, A318/319/320, etc.).
Further Leading Private Jet Companies and Charters
In addition to our top ten globally that we have discussed in some detail, further leading private jet charter companies include:
- BlackJet
- Solairus Aviation
- Nicholas Air
- FlyExclusive
- Sentient Jet
- NovaJet Aviation Group
- Flexjet (for fractional jet ownership)
- PlaneSense (for fractional jet ownership)
Charter and Private Jet Markets
The private aviation industry is essentially about luxury, convenience and flexibility. It is about tailored travel solutions, personalized service and seamless business travel that remains unparalleled by commercial airlines.
Despite the airline markets utterly tanking in 2020 with the worldwide COVID-19-pandemic, private and charter aviation did, in fact, prove rather resilient and had some bright spots. Overall, global travel markets took an absolute beating in the weeks and months after the global pandemic broke out. But this did not necessarily transfer or carry over to the private jet and charter markets. Many private air carriers were looking at either equal to 2019 or were even surpassing 2019 numbers.
Towards the end of FY20, several private jet executives at the Corporate Jet Investor’s weekly Town Hall meeting indicated that they expected to finish 2020 stronger than 2019. In contrast, the major airlines were not anticipating a full recovery until 2024.
This trend appeared to be born mainly out of travelers' desire to avoid transmission of COVID-19. In other words, travelers who had the means to afford private or chartered travel but had ostensibly flown first class were shifting to flying private jets.
In recent years, the global private jet charter services market has grown rapidly. As of 2025, the private aviation industry continues to grow, as the interest in alternatives to commercial flights increases.
Conclusion to the Best Private Jet Companies and Charters
We hope that this updated version of our original article helps you and your needs to learn more about charter aircraft and private jet travel to choose the most suitable and cost-effective option for you.
Choosing a private jet company to represent your needs or your corporation's needs is a huge decision since it is, of course, not cheap. However, around the globe, there are many options available and choices to cover almost any requirements.
The reality is that even major corporations who could afford their own fleet still may not find it to be a financially sound solution. In place of ownership, jet charter companies have networked to provide that same level of concierge service to clients of many economic tiers now, no longer just reserved for the super-affluent.
Make sure you, the end-user, understand what each option – fractional ownership, shared, pay-per-flight, jet card – entitles you to, as well as any hidden fees and associated expenses. Also, keep a keen eye open to make sure that the service you choose is open and transparent about their fleet and their safety record.
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