The active Wheels Up jet fleet is exclusively Phenom 300s and Challenger 300s after removal of the remaining Citation Xs and Hawker 400XPs.
Wheels Up has removed the last remaining legacy jets from revenue service.
The move comes 18 months ahead of schedule, according to the company.
CEO George Mattson says, “Achieving this milestone over a year ahead of schedule reflects the focus and discipline behind our fleet modernization strategy.”
The retired Hawker 400XPs and Citation Xs represented significant milestones as the 2013 start-up entered a period of rapid expansion late last decade.
In October 2024, management revealed plans to streamline its fleet.
Embraer’s top-selling light jet, the Phenom 300, was selected to replace legacy light and midsize jet types.
The last of the midsize Citation Excels exited last year.
Challenger 300s were tapped to replace the Citation Xs.
The Bombardier super-midsize jet offers a stand-up cabin.
Twenty-six of the Hawker 400XPs arrived in 2019, with Wheels Up’s first of a half-dozen charter operator acquisitions when it bought Travel Management Corporation.
Its 2021 acquisition of Mountain Aviation gave it the nation’s largest Citation X fleet, enabling Wheels Up to become a major player in the transcontinental market.
The move to premium aircraft is part of its integration strategy with Delta Air Lines.
Mattson said, “Retiring our legacy jet fleets from revenue service repositions our offering to a more consistent, premium, and operationally efficient experience for our members and customers.”
He added, “We are encouraged by the higher customer satisfaction ratings we are receiving on our Phenom and Challenger offering and remain focused on building a stronger, simpler, and more scalable aviation platform.”
Mattson, a longtime board member at Delta Air Lines, was appointed CEO of Wheels Up in August 2023 following a $500 million investment by the airline and several partners.
Mattson has been charged with stemming losses at Wheels Up while improving service performance.
Following its 2021 IPO, losses multiplied, and performance declined as it tripled its membership.
The then management struggled to integrate multiple fleet types during Covid operating challenges.
In announcing the retirements, Wheels Up said:
‘The fleet modernization effort is part of an ongoing transformation of Wheels Up, designed to improve all aspects of the customer experience and simplify the company’s product and fleet architecture. By simplifying its fleet operations with two best-in-class jet platforms in the Phenom and Challenger aircraft types, Wheels Up is better positioned to drive scale efficiencies that align fleet availability, efficiency, operating performance, and customer demand.’
Wheels Up said, as it has throughout, that it “will continue to fulfill all existing member commitments” associated with the fleet move.
Wheels Up stopped selling its Legacy membership in March.
In December, it stopped offering guaranteed pricing on turboprops.
It is expected to exit the remaining King Air 350 fleet.
It guaranteed capped hourly rates on light, midsize, and super-midsize jets.
Wheels Up now offers guarantees on pricing and availability through the Signature membership launched in September 2025.
The fleet renewal was boosted by the 2024 acquisition of GrandView Aviation and its Phenom fleet.
Since then, Wheels Up has been building its new fleet through individual aircraft purchases in the pre-owned market.
Wheels Up has recently reported improved on-time performance and record Brand Days, with no cancellations.
The Delta Air Lines-backed flight provider ended 2025 as the fourth-largest U.S. operator based on charter and fractional flight hours.
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