Wheels Up is a private aviation company offering membership programmes, on-demand charter and aircraft management to individuals and businesses. It operates a modernised fleet centered on Bombardier Challenger 300 series and Embraer Phenom 300 series jets, supported by a network of third-party operators, and sells flights through a mobile app and a member operations center. Delta Air Lines is its largest strategic shareholder and commercial partner. The company also serves corporate and government customers through its charter and cargo businesses. Wheels Up is headquartered in Chamblee, Georgia, near Atlanta, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Wheels Up is publicly traded
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market. Shares can be traded publicly under its listed ticker.
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
2013
Employees
1,001–5,000
Total Funding
$1.18B
8 rounds
Last Private Valuation
$2.1B
Jul 13, 2021
Closed a $100M unsecured term loan from Delta Air Lines, Cox Investment Holdings and CK Wheels at 12% PIK interest, maturing 2029
Growth capital still comes from the controlling shareholder group rather than open-market financing
Announced $100M Delta-led term loan plus AIP Capital mezzanine tranche, ~$165M total incremental liquidity
Fresh liquidity via existing Delta-led backers signals continued reliance on that group rather than open-market…
Laid off over 20 sales-team positions amid ongoing cost reduction
Continued cost-cutting suggests ongoing financial pressure despite the 2023 rescue financing
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Total raised $1.18B across 8 rounds
Last updated 09-20-2026
| Date | Round | Amount Raised | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2026 | Term loan (Delta-led) Press release | $100M | — | Delta Air Lines |
| Sep 20, 2023 | Term loan (rescue financing) | $390M | — | Delta Air Lines, Certares Management, Knighthead Capital Management |
| Jul 13, 2021 | SPAC + PIPE (IPO) CNBC | $790M | $2.1B | Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle Corp |
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Entry · Series C / growth
$700M
Oct 2017
Wheels Up today
$2.1B
Jul 2021 · latest mark
Wheels Up multiple
3.0x
valuation uplift since first round
Y-axis is logarithmic. Hollow dots = estimated valuations. Does not represent realized investor returns.
George Mattson
Chief Executive Officer
John Verkamp
Chief Financial Officer
David Holtz
Chief Operating Officer
Matthew Knopf
Chief Legal Officer
Mark Briffa
Chief Sales Officer
Meaghan Wells
Chief Growth Officer
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
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Jet Linx
Fractional jet card and ownership provider targeting mid-market private aviation users with affordable entry-level programs.
Wheels Up has traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker UP since July 2021, when it combined with the special purpose acquisition company Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle Corp. After a liquidity crisis it was rescued in 2023 by an investor group led by Delta Air Lines alongside Certares Management, Knighthead Capital Management and Cox Investment Holdings, which together took roughly 95% of the pro forma fully diluted equity at the September 2023 closing. The company remains listed and majority-controlled by that group rather than by Delta alone: as of May 29, 2026, of 36,260,282 Class A shares outstanding Delta beneficially owned about 36.3%, CK Wheels about 35.6% and Cox Investment Holdings about 11.9%, and Delta has extended the lock-up on its shares to May 2027. Wheels Up completed a second reverse stock split effective after the close of trading on April 24, 2026 in order to regain compliance with NYSE listing-price standards, and in May 2026 closed a $100 million unsecured term loan provided by the same Delta-led lender group. There is no announced transaction to take the company private or to delist it.
Wheels Up shares can be purchased through any standard brokerage account — including Fidelity, Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and online platforms like Robinhood or E*TRADE. Search for the ticker to place an order.
Wheels Up had a valuation of approximately $2.1B at the time of its public offering. Current market capitalization fluctuates with the share price.
Wheels Up raised $1.18B across 8 disclosed funding rounds prior to its public listing.
Wheels Up is headquartered in Chamblee, GA, United States.
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