FlyExclusive Accelerates Growth Strategy for 2026

Air charter provider FlyExclusive is entering 2026 with what CEO Jim Segrave describes as a pivotal shift from turnaround to sustained profitability, driven by fleet discipline, dispatch reliability improvements, and targeted infrastructure investment.

A central pillar of that strategy is the operator’s expanding fleet of Bombardier Challenger 350s, which Segrave called the company’s most profitable and reliable assets. FlyExclusive recently acquired two more Challenger 350s and expects to have 12 on its operating certificate before the end of the first quarter.

“They’re by far the most profitable thing in our fleet, the most reliable thing in our fleet,” Segrave told AIN. “Even in the face of having one airplane down waiting for an engine overhaul, I’m still flying the airplanes over 110 hours a month. The ones that are flying are doing 140 hours a month. They’re that reliable.”

Segrave said customer preference has increasingly shifted toward aircraft that deliver consistent dispatch reliability rather than purely larger cabins or higher-end interiors. “The customers want reliability,” he said. “The Challenger delivers dispatch reliability around the ballpark of 400% better than anything else in the fleet.”

Connectivity has become another differentiator, particularly as FlyExclusive moves to equip its fleet with Starlink. Segrave said customer reaction to high-speed connectivity has been decisive. “They’d rather have the smaller plane and have internet than they would a bigger airplane and not have it,” he said, calling the demand “a great indication of how important that internet is to them.”

Operational reliability gains have also been supported by investments in mobile service units, which Segrave said have helped double overall dispatch availability compared with just over a year ago. “Every 1% for us at our size delivers about $3 million a year of profitability on the bottom line,” he said. “So it’s a big deal what we’ve accomplished over the last year.”

Segrave said the company is now positioned to realize the benefits of decisions made over the past 18 months, including the removal of nonperforming airplanes that had previously weighed on results. “At its peak, it was about a $3 million-a-month drag on our performance,” he said. “That’s gone at this point.”

Looking ahead, Segrave said profitability will be the primary measure of success. 2026 “is going to be a terrific breakout year for us. I think the inflection point is here.”

Beyond the fleet, FlyExclusive is expanding its physical and organizational footprint, including growth in Raleigh, North Carolina, which Segrave said supports both recruiting and company culture. “The Raleigh move is about maintaining that culture and that connection and collaboration in person,” he said.

FlyExclusive’s growth strategy also includes capital activity, with the company recently raising $15 million through an equity transaction that improved liquidity and stock trading volume. “What that means to us is that we can now raise money off of the volume going forward, and so we can continue to accelerate our growth and add those Challengers like we want to,” he said.

The company’s current trajectory builds on the momentum that Segrave highlighted to AIN in October, when FlyExclusive reported rising revenue and improved utilization following aggressive fleet pruning and operational changes. At the time, Segrave said the company was focused on flying fewer airplanes more efficiently, a strategy that appears to be carrying forward as FlyExclusive now adds capacity from a stronger operational and financial base.

“We flew our fleet with 20% less airplanes and flew 15% more hours,” Segrave said. “Now we’re adding airplanes and fully expect to add 20% to 30% to our fleet this year and continue in the efficiency gains…There’s a lot of stars aligning right now for us.”