Wholesale Charter Operator BellAir Becomes Jet Excellence

BellAir this week rebranded as Jet Excellence following its recent acquisition of Red Wing Aeroplane from the Vista Global group. The U.S. charter operator announced the move on Monday, saying that the deal adds 19 Cessna Citation Xs to its fleet, with further additions planned over the next 12 to 24 months.

The Citation Xs were formerly operated by Vista and were transferred to Red Wing in conjunction with the sale. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

Wheels Up executives Michael Vargo and Zach Palmer are joining Jet Excellence to serve, respectively, as chief operating officer and vice president of commercial strategy. Vargo previously led Citation X operator Mountain Aviation and is now leading the operational integration of the Bell Air and Red Wing fleets at the rebranded group’s base at Raleigh Executive Jetport in North Carolina.

The 27 Citation Xs Jet Excellence now operates are under long-term lease with various partners, and the company wants to increase the number of aircraft to more than 30. Its total fleet numbers 35 and also includes some other Citation models, Hawker 800XPs, and a King Air 350.

According to the company’s founder, CEO, and chairman, McQueen Campbell, the company operates a high-utilization floating fleet model rather than through aircraft management contracts. The company provides wholesale charter services for other private flight providers. In Raleigh, it has its own maintenance facility to support the fleet.

“By acquiring Red Wing and expanding our Citation X fleet, we’re bringing speed, scale, and reliability together under one brand,” said Campbell, who has conducted over 80 aircraft transactions in his career. “We are now positioned to deliver a best-in-class charter experience with a singular operational standard.”

BellAir started operations in 2013 with a single Gulfstream G200 and in 2018 was acquired by Campbell. By 2022, the operator, which provides supplementary lift to private flight providers including Wheels Up, Sentient, Jet Linx, and Delta Private Jets, had more than 10 aircraft in its fleet. In 2024, it took a strategic decision to focus on the Citation X.

“We are scaling high-performance flight operations centered around safety, reliability,” Vargo commented. “The addition of Citation Xs to the Jet Excellence portfolio enables us to focus on a single-type, super-mid program and unlock multiple value streams.”

The Citation X can carry up to 12 passengers with a range of up to 3,460 nm and a top speed of 536 knots. Textron ended production in 2018 after delivering 338 aircraft, including 29 of the Citation X+ model it had introduced in 2012. Major fleet operators for the type have included Wheels Up, NetJets, XO Jet, and AirX Charter.