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Company Profile

Thrive Aviation

Comprehensive interview intel — history, fleet, compensation, hiring, culture, and strategy. Know the company inside and out before you walk in.

Big-picture snapshot

Thrive Aviation is a Part 135 on-demand charter and aircraft management company headquartered in Henderson, Nevada (2500 Paseo Verde Parkway #100, Henderson, NV 89074). The company operates a fleet of 30+ aircraft spanning light jets through large-cabin types — including Gulfstream G600, Dassault Falcon 2000LXS, Bombardier Challenger 604, and multiple Cessna Citation variants — from bases at KLAS (Las Vegas), KHSH (Henderson Executive), and KOPF (Miami-Opa Locka). Thrive employs approximately 60+ pilots and is non-union. Curtis Edenfield serves as CEO and Co-Founder, with Rickey Oswald as COO, Stuart Edenfield as Director of Operations, Andrew Martens as VP of Flight Operations (appointed April 2025), and Paul Welge as Chief Pilot.

For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Thrive Aviation is this: it is a rapidly growing Las Vegas-based charter operator that doubled its fleet from 14 to 30+ aircraft in just a few years, holds ARGUS Platinum Elite and Wyvern Wingman Pro safety ratings, and serves as a Southwest Airlines Destination 225 Pilot Pathway partner. Thrive differentiates itself through fleet diversity (12+ aircraft types), all aircraft owned outright (not dry-leased), and a jet card membership program with a $50,000 minimum buy-in. The company was ranked the 19th-largest U.S. charter operator by 2022 Argus data and was named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2025 at position #3043.

Company history

  • 1984: Corporate Flight International founded in Las Vegas by Ira Eichenfield (predecessor company)
  • 2018: Thrive Aviation founded/rebranded under Curtis Edenfield, Stuart Edenfield, Rickey Oswald, and Vitali Lapko
  • 2021: Fleet at approximately 14 aircraft; approximately 60 pilots
  • 2022: Took delivery of first Gulfstream G600; ranked 19th-largest U.S. charter operator by Argus data
  • 2023: Added aircraft management services; joined Southwest Airlines Destination 225 Pilot Pathways program; fleet began doubling
  • 2025: Named to Inc. 5000 list (#3043); Andrew Martens appointed VP of Flight Operations (April); Wyvern Wingman Pro certification renewed; fleet surpassed 30 aircraft; Embraer Praetor 500 added to fleet
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Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.