Former NetJets and Magellan Jets executive Harris moves to the CEO role at the 15th-largest charter/fractional private jet operator.
Veteran private aviation executive Matthew Harris (pictured left) has been named CEO of Northern Jet.
Current CEO Chris Bull moves to co-chairman
Harris joins from Magellan Jets, where he moved in June from chief operating officer to chief strategy officer.
He had been with the Boston-based private jet company since 2023.
During that tenure, Magellan Jets entered the fractional ownership market.
It also made two technology acquisitions.
Harris is a graduate of Florida Institute of Technology, with a B.S. in Aviation Management.
He then spent 14 years at NetJets, ultimately as Executive Vice President of Owner and Employee Service.
In that position, he led service delivery for more than 5,000 corporate and high-net-worth customers and aircraft owners.
Harris co-founded The Milestone Aviation Group and served as its chief operating officer, helping build the helicopter leasing business to more than $4 billion in assets.
Bull, who has led Northern Jet as CEO since the 2023 merger of SpeedBird and Northern Jet Management that formed the company, will become co-chairman alongside Chuck Cox.
In that role, he will concentrate fully on the company’s growth, including new programs, strategic partnerships, and market expansion.
Harris will oversee flight operations, maintenance, customer experience, and the teams that support Northern Jet’s three core programs: aircraft management, fractional aircraft ownership, and the Private Advantage Card jet card program.
Bull commented, “Everything we do at Northern Jet starts with making a difference for our customers.”
He continued, “Matthew shares that philosophy and brings the leadership, experience, and operational discipline to carry it forward as we enter our next chapter of growth.”
Bull says, “With Matthew leading the business day-to-day, I can focus more of my energy on Northern Jet’s long-term vision, strategic opportunities, and where we go next.”
He concluded, “Most importantly, our customers gain a CEO who understands that in private aviation, every detail matters and every trip is personal.”
Cox said, “When we brought Northern Jet Management and SpeedBird together, we said it had to be with people who share our values and our commitment to putting customers first,” adding, “Matthew exceeds that standard. He has led service for some of the most demanding flyers in the world, and he understands that in this business, trust is earned one flight at a time.”
For his part, Harris said:
‘What drew me to Northern Jet is that the promise is real. Personal, Private, Authentic isn’t a slogan here. You see it in a team that knows its customers by name, and in an operator that flies its own aircraft to its own standards. My job is to protect that and to build the operating backbone that lets it grow: safety first, every time, and then service that makes every hour of a customer’s time count.’
Northern Jet ended 2025 ranked as the 15th-largest U.S. private jet operator based on charter and fractional flight hours.
It most recently added a large cabin jet card to its lineup.
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