flyExclusive Acquires Two Additional Challenger 350 Aircraft Advancing Fleet Modernization and High-Contribution Growth in 2026

Key Terms

super-midsize technical

A super-midsize company is one whose total stock market value sits at the high end of the mid-size range, close to becoming a large company. Think of it as a mid-size car upgraded with many features of a luxury sedan: it often offers more stability and broader investor interest than smaller firms, while still having more growth potential than big, established companies. Investors watch these firms for a balance of moderate risk, improving liquidity, and the possibility of moving into large-cap indexes.

fractional ownership financial

Fractional ownership is when a high-value asset is split into smaller pieces so multiple investors each own a defined portion rather than one person owning the whole thing. It matters to investors because it lowers the money needed to participate in expensive assets, makes it easier to diversify and trade smaller positions, and provides access to investments that would otherwise be unaffordable—much like buying slices of a pizza instead of the entire pie.

avionics technical

Avionics are the electronic systems used on aircraft and spacecraft for navigation, communication, flight control, monitoring and onboard displays — think of them as the vehicle’s brain, dashboard and radio all in one. Investors care because avionics determine safety, certification requirements, upgrade cycles, and maintenance costs; changes or innovations in avionics can affect manufacturer competitiveness, supplier revenue and the timing of deliveries.

operating leverage financial

Operating leverage measures how much a company's profits are affected by changes in sales volume. When a business has high operating leverage, small increases in sales can lead to much larger increases in profit, much like a lever amplifies force. It matters to investors because it indicates how sensitive a company's earnings are to fluctuations in sales, affecting risk and potential returns.

KINSTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- flyExclusive (NYSE American: FLYX) today announced the addition of two Challenger 350 aircraft to its fleet, continuing its planned expansion of high-contribution super-midsize capacity as part of the company’s 2026 fleet modernization and growth roadmap.

The additions bring flyExclusive’s Challenger fleet to eight aircraft, marking another milestone in the Company’s multi-year strategy to deploy capital into aircraft categories that deliver the strongest utilization and contribution across charter, Jet Club, and fractional ownership programs. The Challenger fleet currently represents the most economically productive segment of the flyExclusive fleet, driven by strong customer demand, broad mission flexibility, and favorable operating characteristics.

The Challenger platform will be the first aircraft in the flyExclusive fleet to be equipped with Starlink, with installations to begin immediately. This positions flyExclusive to deliver the latest industry standard in high-speed, world-wide, reliable connectivity today’s customers expect, delivering a best-in-class experience that matches the Challenger’s reputation for comfort, range, and dispatch reliability.

“These additions reflect a deliberate capacity strategy focused on long-term value creation, not opportunistic growth,” said Jim Segrave, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of flyExclusive. “The Challenger platform continues to demonstrate superior contribution and reliability across our customer base. Expanding this category improves availability for our customers while strengthening overall fleet economics. We expect multiple additional Challengers, as well as additional XLS and CJ3’s to enter the fleet throughout 2026 as we continue executing this disciplined approach.”

The aircraft are part of flyExclusive’s broader fleet modernization initiative, which emphasizes modern aircraft types with attractive lifecycle economics. Through its vertically integrated model, flyExclusive performs maintenance, refurbishment, and avionics upgrades in-house, enabling consistent fleet standards, efficient entry into service, and tighter control over operating costs.

As flyExclusive continues advancing its 2026 fleet plan, the company remains focused on aligning aircraft additions with demand trends, improving utilization, and strengthening unit economics across its service offerings. Management expects targeted Challenger acquisition expanding its Super-mid category to remain a meaningful driver of revenue quality and operating leverage.

For more information about flyExclusive and its fleet strategy, visit www.flyexclusive.com.

About flyExclusive

flyExclusive (NYSE American: FLYX) is a vertically integrated, FAA-certificated private aviation company providing charter, Jet Club membership, and fractional ownership services worldwide. The company operates one of the largest private jet fleets in the U.S., with full operational control over maintenance, refurbishment, and avionics through its in-house MRO facilities in Kinston, North Carolina. Learn more at www.flyexclusive.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: potential volatility of the Company stock price; its ability to generate significant, or any, revenue as an authorized Starlink dealer; the ability to maintain inclusion in the Russell Indices; management of growth; the ability of the Company to file timely file its required annual and quarterly reports with the SEC; the ability of the Company to maintain compliance with NYSE American continued listing standards and maintain the listing of the Company’s securities on a national securities exchange; the ability of the Company to comply with covenants under and repay its debt; the potential dilution of stock ownership by our capital raising efforts; the outcome of any legal proceedings; volatility of the price of the Company’s securities due to a variety of factors, including publication of articles about the Company by third parties, changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which flyExclusive operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting flyExclusive’s business; the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and the risk of downturns due to general economic or political uncertainties, including as a result of recent U.S. actions relating to Venezuela, and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive aviation industry. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of flyExclusive’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114989810/en/

Media Contact

Jillian Wilson media@flyexclusive.com

Investor Relations Contact

Sloan Bohlen, Solebury Strategic Communications investors@flyexclusive.com

Source: flyExclusive, Inc.