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Wheels Up is a membership-based private aviation company operating approximately 123 aircraft on its certificate — primarily Phenom 300s, Challenger 300/350s, Citation XLS/X, and King Air 350i — from 12+ bases nationwide. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and employs approximately 465 active pilots with no pilot union. George N. Mattson serves as CEO (since September 2023). Wheels Up is publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker "UP."
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Wheels Up is this: it is a membership-based private aviation company that was rescued from near-bankruptcy in August 2023 when Delta Air Lines acquired a 95% stake after founder Kenny Dichter resigned amid financial crisis. Today, Delta's investment is the defining strategic relationship — the two companies have launched a unified single-brand customer model (January 2026), and Wheels Up is in the middle of a fleet modernization from legacy King Air 350i and Citation fleets to standardized Phenom 300 and Challenger 300/350 platforms. Wheels Up achieved its first-ever positive Adjusted EBITDAR in 2025, but the full-year net loss was still $166.3 million. The Delta partnership gives Wheels Up members access to Diamond Medallion status earning and hybrid private-commercial itineraries.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.