Does Delta Air Lines Have Private Jets?

The simple answer to the question at hand is yes, but not in the form you may remember. Founded as Comair Jet Express in 1984 and renamed Delta Private Jets in 2001, the subsidiary of Delta Air Lines aimed to offer private jets for flights to airports that Delta did not serve. Based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Delta Private Jets was available as an upgrade for SkyMiles Elite members on specific routes between Atlanta, Cincinnati, and New York. By offering flights on private jets, Delta allowed its elite customers to travel in style while taking away all the security hassles associated with flying commercially.

Delta Private Jets merged with Wheels Up

In 2019, Delta Air Lines announced that it would merge Delta Private Jets with Wheels Up to create one of the largest fleets in private aviation. At the time, Delta Private Jets had a fleet of more than 70 business aircraft, while Wheels Up operated more than 115 twin turboprops and jets.

When the deal was completed in early 2020, Delta Air Lines ended two decades of involvement in the private aviation sector. No details of the merger were released, but it is believed that Delta ended up owning about 20% of Wheels Up.

Wheels Up was in financial trouble

Following a downturn across the entire travel industry as the world recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, Wheels Up was hemorrhaging cash and looked to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian came to the rescue when, on August 15, 2023, the US legacy carrier announced that it, together with three other investors, would turn Wheels Up’s fortunes around.

Delta Air Lines will provide Wheels Up with a liquidity facility worth $100 million, while Certares Management LLC, Capital Management LLC, and Cox Enterprises will offer $400 million in loans. In exchange for the $500 million, Delta Air Lines and the other partners would receive newly issued Wheels Up Class A common stock. In a nutshell, Delta and the other investors would own 95% of the business aviation firm.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian is bullish about Wheels Up

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian believes that Delta’s experience of being a premium airline combined with the travel and tourism focus of Certares and the restructuring skills of Knighthead will turn around Wheels Up’s fortunes. When speaking about the deal in a Delta Air Lines statement, CEO Ed Bastian said:

“The partnership will create new opportunities for Wheels Up to drive strategic, operational and financial improvements for its customers in the months and years ahead.” “Delta’s unmatched expertise in premium travel, customer loyalty, corporate sales, operational reliability and aircraft maintenance, combined with Certares’ and Knighthead’s experience and global reach, are expected to speed Wheels Up on its path to profitability.”

Photo: Wheels Up

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Kenny Dichter, the visionary founder behind Wheels Up, for building the Wheels Up brand into a powerhouse in private aviation. We have great appreciation for his steadfast devotion to the members, customers and employees and his role in elevating the private aviation experience which will undoubtedly guide the industry’s path forward. We’re grateful he will continue as Wheels Up’s strategic advisor.”

It will be interesting to watch Wheels Up’s fortunes now that they have been given a $500 million lifeline. Despite the money, and although private aviation globally is on the rise, charter traffic from the USA’s ten busiest private airports is reportedly down 17% in the first half of 2023, according to research company Argus International.

Sources: Delta Air Lines and Reuters