FlyExclusive plans to expand its operations at Global Transpark in Kinston after securing a $30 million state grant.
FlyExclusive has announced a significant investment in its vertical integration strategy.
The company secured a $30 million grant from the State of North Carolina.
The investment is to expand its operations and build a new pilot training facility at the Global TransPark in Kinston.
The investment is expected to create more than 100 new aviation jobs in Lenoir County.
It would further strengthen FlyExclusive’s operational roots in eastern North Carolina.
Back in 2023, a $30 government grant was intended for a corporate office and a pilot training facility.
In January, FlyExclusive moved its executive headquarters to Raleigh.
The move was designed to “attract top talent, enhance cross-functional collaboration, and accelerate execution as the company enters its next phase of disciplined growth.”
Chairman and CEO Jim Segrave said at the time, “Raleigh sits at the center of a robust talent market and gives us the scale and proximity we need to move faster as a business.”
Kinston and Raleigh are about 80 miles apart.
However, what changed in the North Carolina Senate bill 257 is that the funds were redirected.
Now, the funds are authorized for the construction and maintenance of either a flight training facility or an MRO.
The new pilot training facility would allow the company to repatriate most of its flight training spending.
With money returning to North Carolina, it could save over $5 million per year in direct pilot training costs.
Some of those training costs go to training providers outside the state.
But others are for more than 8,000 hotel room nights per year for pilot training.
This investment is also expected to generate significant local property tax revenue through the use of high-tech simulators.
The flight simulators meant for the new facility would increase property value, as each is valued at approximately $12 million.
Segrave said, “[T]his facility lets us develop the next generation of world-class pilots and create hundreds of high-quality aviation careers for the talented men and women who will help us keep growing here in North Carolina.
FlyExclusive aims to prioritize vertical integration, owning and controlling the critical inputs to its business rather than relying on third parties.
The company’s in-house pilot pipeline would give it a durable, cost-advantaged source of aviators, according to the announcement.
This investment and strategy complements the company’s pre-existing in-house MRO operations at its Kinston headquarters.
By bringing more work in-house, flyExclusive expects to improve efficiency, reduce dependence on external providers and labor markets, and support long-term growth.
With this push towards vertical integration, the company aims to improve service quality and reliability for its Jet Club members, fractional owners, and charter customers.
FlyExclusive is ranked as the fifth-largest U.S. private jet operator based on charter and fractional flight hours.
In June, the private jet company set company records for jet hours and jet card sales.
The company plans to break ground on the Global Transpark expansions as soon as possible.
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