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Apollo Nears $10 Billion Deal for KKR’s Atlantic Aviation Stake

Apollo Global Management is set to acquire a majority stake in Atlantic Aviation from KKR, valuing the FBO network at nearly $10 billion.

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Photo: Atlantic Aviation

This article summarizes reporting by Bloomberg and journalists David Carnevali and Ryan Gould.

Apollo Global Management is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire a majority stake in Atlantic Aviation from KKR & Co. According to reporting by Bloomberg, the prospective transaction would place a massive valuation on the fixed-base operator (FBO) network. As noted in the original report, the firms are nearing:

…a transaction that would value the private jet fixed-base operator at almost $10 billion…

The potential deal highlights the continued surge of institutional capital into aviation infrastructure. Supplementary industry research indicates that Apollo is partnering with Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC Pte, to execute the buyout. Meanwhile, KKR is not fully exiting the business; the firm reportedly plans to reinvest and maintain a significant minority stake in the company.

If finalized, an official announcement could arrive as early as the first week of April 2026. However, sources caution that KKR retains the option to walk away from the negotiations and hold onto the asset.

The Evolution of Atlantic Aviation

Atlantic Aviation operates one of the largest FBO networks globally, providing essential ground handling, fueling, and corporate flight support for private and business aviation. Under the leadership of CEO Jeff Foland, the company has grown its footprint to over 100 campuses across North America and the Caribbean.

This growth has been accelerated by a string of recent acquisitions. In late 2025, Atlantic expanded its reach by acquiring the ExecuJet FBO in St. Maarten, Cedar Aviation Services in Bermuda, and the Jet Center at Santa Fe in New Mexico, alongside a new location at Glacier Park International Airport in Montana.

A Lucrative Return for KKR

KKR originally acquired Atlantic Aviation from Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation in the fourth quarter of 2021. At the time, KKR paid $4.475 billion, representing a 16.2 multiple of the company’s 2019 EBITDA, for a network that consisted of 69 locations.

Based on the reported $10 billion valuation, KKR has effectively doubled the value of its investment in less than five years. The decision to roll over equity suggests that KKR continues to see substantial long-term upside in the FBO market.

Infrastructure and the Future of Flight

The appeal of FBO networks to private equity and sovereign wealth funds lies in their infrastructure-like characteristics. These assets offer high barriers to entry, consistent cash flows, and a captive customer base. This trend was previously underscored by the 2021 acquisitions of Atlantic’s primary rival, Signature Aviation, by Blackstone and Global Infrastructure Partners for $4.7 billion.

Pioneering Advanced Air Mobility

Beyond traditional private jet services, Atlantic Aviation has aggressively positioned itself at the forefront of the electric aviation revolution. In January 2025, the company acquired Ferrovial Vertiports, subsequently rebranding it as VertiPorts by Atlantic.

This strategic move aims to build out the necessary infrastructure for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Atlantic has forged partnerships with leading eVTOL developers, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Lilium. The company is currently upgrading utility infrastructure and installing charging stations at major hubs, such as New York City’s East 34th Street Heliport, to prepare for the commercial launch of regional air mobility services.

AirPro News analysis

We view this potential $10 billion transaction as a defining moment for aviation infrastructure. The involvement of heavyweight alternative asset managers like Apollo, KKR, and GIC underscores a broader macroeconomic trend: the deployment of billions into physical, inflation-resistant assets.

Furthermore, the valuation reflects more than just the traditional FBO business model. It represents a calculated bet on the future of transportation. By integrating eVTOL infrastructure into its existing network, Atlantic Aviation is future-proofing its operations and establishing itself as a critical player in the impending rollout of electric air taxis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is buying Atlantic Aviation?
Apollo Global Management, in partnership with Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte, is reportedly acquiring a majority stake.

How much is Atlantic Aviation valued at in this deal?
According to Bloomberg, the transaction values the company at almost $10 billion.

Is KKR selling its entire stake?
No, industry reports indicate KKR plans to reinvest and retain a significant minority ownership position.

Sources

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Atelier Aviation to Reassume Full Ownership of Fly Alliance

Atelier Aviation plans to reassume full ownership of Fly Alliance, Inc., keep eight of its 13 aircraft and rename the operator Atelier.

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Atelier Aviation to Reassume Full Ownership of Fly Alliance
Photo: Fly Alliance

Atelier Aviation, LLC, a Cove Capital Investments company, said it is preparing to reassume full ownership of Fly Alliance, Inc., the Part 135 certificate holder currently operating 13 aircraft. Eight of those aircraft will stay in service and five are being offered for sale, and, following regulatory approval, the operator will change its name to Atelier.

The announcement, distributed through Business Wire on November 9, 2026, with an Orlando, Florida, dateline, places the charter operator inside a Cove Capital group that also includes the parts company Altitude Parts, the Part 135 operator Sky Travel Solutions and Atelier Maintenance. According to the release, the combined group will employ more than 100 people and generate approximately $150 million in annual revenue.

Which aircraft stay and which go

The release lists the eight aircraft that will remain in active service: one Hawker 900XP, two Cessna Citation XLS+, four Gulfstream G-IVSPs and one Gulfstream G-V. The remaining five, two Citation Excels, two Citation Latitudes and one G-IVSP, are being offered for sale.

“With this transition, more than 40 pilots, 15 technicians and 15 support professionals have joined our organization,” the release states. Going forward, it says, the group will focus on aircraft sales, aircraft management, charter operations, parts and maintenance. The release says the group will provide the financial backing to keep the fleet in top condition and emphasizes reliability and long-term partnerships.

The release does not disclose financial terms or a timeline for the regulatory approval. It lists Kevin Wargo, Chief Executive Officer, as its media contact. Atelier Aviation’s website gives an address in Kissimmee, Florida, and lists three services: aircraft management, private charter and maintenance.

How the Cove Capital group came together

Cove Capital Investments, LLC was founded in September 2025 by Kevin Wargo and Samantha Nunez, according to an Altitude Parts release dated August 26, 2026. In that announcement, Altitude Parts said it had acquired Fly Alliance’s aircraft parts inventory and warehouse operations. Operating from its Orlando, Florida, facility, the company said it then held more than $150 million in assets, including inventory from 156 disassembly aircraft and more than 42,000 individual aircraft parts.

The same release said Manny Perez had been promoted to President and Partner of Altitude Parts, leading sales, operations, warehouse and logistics teams that support more than $60 million in annual sales. Wargo, then described as co-founder of Cove Capital Investments, called the parts deal “an important step in our vision for Altitude Parts.” The November release describes Altitude Parts as “an $80 million aircraft parts company.”

Cove Capital is also selling aircraft. On October 6, 2026, Sky Travel and its parent, Cove Capital, said they planned to bring nearly 20 business aircraft to market in the fourth quarter, a plan covered in Sky Travel’s Q4 listing of business jets. The expected inventory included the Cessna Citation Excel, Hawker 400XP, Learjet 75, Gulfstream G200, Gulfstream GIV-SP, Gulfstream GV and Bombardier Global Express. The November release says Cove Capital currently has over 20 aircraft listed for sale, ranging from light jets to large-cabin, long-range business aircraft, and describes Sky Travel Solutions as a Part 135 operator with 11 Hawker 400XP aircraft.

Fly Alliance’s leadership change in July

Fly Alliance, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, and Orlando, Florida, describes itself as a full-service private aviation company. A Fly Alliance release from January 19, 2026, identified Wargo as its CEO. In June 2026, Fly Alliance announced the expansion of its Fly Alliance Maintenance Partners franchise, an initiative that the release said combined the aviation leadership experience of Wargo, then described as co-founder, with the franchising expertise of entrepreneur Eddie Trujillo.

On July 7, 2026, Fly Alliance announced that Christopher Tasca had become Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2026, and that Wargo had moved to the company’s Advisory Board. That release also reported the completion of a significant institutional investment and a strategic banking partnership. Tasca said in the release that Wargo’s “vision and leadership was instrumental in building the strong foundation Fly Alliance enjoys today.”

The July release listed Fly Alliance’s core business units as private charter, aircraft management, maintenance, aircraft sales, aircraft parts and ownership solutions. The November announcement concerns Fly Alliance, Inc., the Part 135 certificate holder, and does not address the other business units named in July.

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Eaton to Supply Hydraulic and Fuel Systems for Dassault Falcon 10X

Dassault selected Eaton for Falcon 10X hydraulic power and fuel systems, plus a test rig for EASA certification ahead of 2029 service entry.

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Eaton to Supply Hydraulic and Fuel Systems for Dassault Falcon 10X
Photo: Dassault Aviation

Dassault Aviation has selected Eaton to supply the hydraulic power system and fuel system technologies for the Falcon 10X, its new ultra-long-range business jet. The agreement also covers a test rig and validation work to support Dassault’s certification with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), on a programme whose entry into service Dassault now schedules for 2029.

Eaton, which describes itself as an intelligent power management company, announced the selection in a press release from Cleveland distributed through Business Wire in November 2026. The release says the work builds on a longstanding collaboration between the two companies and that Eaton’s flight-proven technologies and engineering expertise are expected to support the aircraft’s weight, fuel-efficiency and certification objectives ahead of entry into service.

What Eaton will supply

According to the release, Eaton’s Hydraulic Power Generation System powers critical aircraft functions, including flight controls, landing gear, braking and steering systems. Eaton says the system provides monitoring and redundancy intended to support safety and reliability objectives.

The agreement goes beyond hardware. It also includes system-level modeling, validation activities and a test rig to support Dassault’s system-level EASA certification activities. The company also said it supported ground testing associated with the Falcon 10X’s first flight.

On the fuel side, Eaton said the technologies selected for the Falcon 10X build on products already deployed across commercial and business aviation platforms, and that their established performance can help reduce development complexity, accelerate production readiness and reduce program risk. The release does not name the individual fuel system components, and it does not disclose the value or duration of the agreement.

“The Falcon 10X is setting a new benchmark in business aviation, and Eaton is proud to help make it possible.”

That statement came from Armando Tellez, President of Eaton’s Fuel and Motion Control Systems Division. Eaton said it will complete the final stages of application-specific development later in 2026, using engineering resources from across the world.

Where the Falcon 10X programme stands

Dassault unveiled the aircraft on March 10, 2026, in a new production hall at Bordeaux-Mérignac, before more than 400 clients, partners and aviation executives, an event AirPro News covered in its report on the prototype unveiling. In its rollout release, Dassault said the programme would move to flight testing, followed by an evaluation campaign to validate performance and prepare the aircraft for service.

Flight testing began with the Falcon 10X maiden flight in June. According to Dassault, test pilot Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and copilot Fabrice Dougnac took off from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Mérignac at 11.10 a.m. on June 19, 2026, for a flight of two hours and 30 minutes. After evaluating handling qualities and systems at 15,000 feet, the crew retracted the landing gear and all movable surfaces, climbed to 40,000 feet and accelerated to Mach 0.82. Dassault said a second test aircraft was nearing completion, and that a third aircraft, being fitted with a full interior, will mainly test systems and cabin functionality and reliability.

The timeline has moved. In an October 29, 2021, article on its news site, GE said the aircraft was slated to fly in 2025; GE Aviation supplies the Falcon 10X’s primary and solid state secondary electrical power distribution and control system. In its first-half 2026 financial release, dated July 22, 2026, Dassault’s board cited the maiden flight and “the rescheduling of the program,” and the company stated that the entry into service of the Falcon 10X is scheduled for 2029. Dassault said its research and development expenses in the first half of 2026 were mainly related to the Falcon 10X.

The aircraft behind the systems

Dassault lists a range of 7,500 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 with eight passengers and four crew, and a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925. The jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines rated at more than 18,000 lb of thrust each at sea level. Its maximum takeoff weight is 115,000 lb, and its maximum fuel weight is 51,700 lb (23,451 kg).

The cabin is 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) wide and 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) high. Dassault says the Falcon 10X is the first business jet with a fully composite wing, and that the aircraft carries the third generation of its digital fly-by-wire flight control system, paired with a Smart Throttle that manages both engines through a single lever. Dassault has used fly-by-wire in business aviation since the Falcon 7X in 2007.

The Falcon market and what comes next

Dassault presents the Falcon 10X as the new top of its Falcon range. The company recorded 23 Falcon orders in the first half of 2026, compared with eight in the first half of 2025, and delivered 13 Falcon jets in the period. Its backlog included 83 Falcon aircraft as of June 30, 2026, and its unchanged 2026 guidance includes the delivery of 40 Falcon jets. Dassault says it has delivered more than 10,000 military and civil aircraft, including 2,800 Falcon jets, to more than 90 countries.

Eaton, founded in 1911, reported revenues of $27.4 billion in 2025 and serves customers in 180 countries, according to its release. The next milestones to watch are Eaton’s completion of application-specific development later in 2026, the entry of the second and third Falcon 10X test aircraft into the flight test campaign, and Dassault’s EASA certification work ahead of the scheduled 2029 entry into service.

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Jet Linx Launches Operator Alliance for Part 135 Charter Operators

Jet Linx opens its Omaha back office and Jet Card program to regional Part 135 operators, with Pacific Coast Jet as the first partner.

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Jet Linx Launches Operator Alliance for Part 135 Charter Operators
Photo: Jet Linx Aviation

Jet Linx Aviation has launched an Operator Alliance that opens its Omaha back office to local and regional Part 135 charter operators, with Northern California’s Pacific Coast Jet, which has more than 20 aircraft under management, signed as the first partner. The company announced the program on November 10, 2026.

Under the model, a participating operator keeps its own local identity, leadership and customer relationships while drawing on Jet Linx’s national resources as it chooses, according to the Jet Linx press release. The company said its relationship with Pacific Coast Jet will go further than a typical shared-services arrangement because of that operator’s size and regional scale on the West Coast, where Jet Linx plans to expand in 2027.

What alliance operators can use

Participants get access to the Jet Linx Global Safety & Operations Center in Omaha, Nebraska, which centralizes accounting, technology, safety, training, fleet operations and procurement for the company’s 22 Base locations nationwide. Jet Linx said procurement covers fuel, insurance, maintenance and crew training.

Operators can also white-label the Jet Linx Jet Card Membership program, which the company said has operated since 2004 and is backed by its guarantee. Jet Linx said the alliance builds on its long-standing partnerships with operators tied to the Jet Card program, and that it expects to add other qualifying Part 135 operators selectively. Options range from shared capabilities to broader partnerships.

Jamie Walker, Executive Chairman of Jet Linx, said the program “has been designed to help smaller operators overcome the large investments of time and capital needed to grow their business.” He said it would also make Jet Linx’s own operation more efficient.

“It’s a win-win, we share in the expense and buying power, which makes it more efficient for all participants.”

Jamie Walker, Executive Chairman, Jet Linx

Walker said local operators “have built trusted businesses in the communities they serve,” and that the alliance lets them spend more of their time on those relationships while Jet Linx supports their back-office needs at lower cost.

Pacific Coast Jet signs on first

Pacific Coast Jet lists offices in Hayward and Oakland, California, on its website and offers aircraft management and charter, with services that include maintenance tracking, crew, aviation accounting and fleet insurance for owners. Jesse Ahearn, its Founder and CEO, said the company’s strategy has been to keep adding aircraft and to expand into more markets.

Ahearn said what attracted him to Jet Linx “wasn’t simply their scale.” He said both companies see private aviation as “fundamentally a local relationship business,” while functions such as safety, technology, accounting, dispatch, operational support and purchasing can be centralized and run on a national scale.

“The idea is simple: centralize the things that benefit from scale and invest locally in the things that benefit from relationships.”

Jesse Ahearn, Founder and CEO, Pacific Coast Jet

Ahearn said the partnership gives Pacific Coast Jet the chance to accelerate the strategy it already had by using infrastructure built at national scale, while keeping its attention on aircraft owners, customers and local relationships.

How the alliance fits the Jet Linx network

Jet Linx was founded in Omaha in 1999 and describes itself as the industry’s only local provider of guaranteed Jet Card Membership and Aircraft Management services. It holds IS-BAO Stage 3, ARGUS Platinum Elite and Wyvern Wingman PRO safety ratings, a combination the company says fewer than 1% of aircraft operators worldwide have earned. In an April 2026 release, Jet Linx described itself as an FAA-registered Part 135 operator flying light to heavy jets, with a service area covering more than 180 countries.

The alliance follows another program built on the same 22-base network. In April 2026, Jet Linx introduced an Owner Aircraft Exchange for managed-fleet owners, under which owners elect at least 10 hours a year of supplemental flight time within the Jet Linx fleet, priced at the aircraft’s Direct Operating Cost (DOC), and offer an equal number of hours on their own jet in return. That program was scheduled to roll out to owners on May 1, 2026.

Other routes to scale

Ahearn tied the decision to wider change in private aviation. “Scale is becoming more than an advantage in our industry,” he said, adding that the shift is visible “as strong operators combine and larger platforms continue to develop.”

Other management companies have grown through acquisition. In August 2026, Solairus Aviation agreed to buy the aircraft management and charter divisions of Clay Lacy Aviation. Solairus said it managed about 360 aircraft from more than 100 base locations across North America and Clay Lacy about 140, giving the combined company a managed fleet of more than 500 aircraft. A notice on the Clay Lacy website now says the divisions have been acquired, and AirPro News has covered the Solairus and Clay Lacy combination.

The Operator Alliance takes a different form: according to the Jet Linx release, partners keep their local identity, leadership and customer relationships while sharing back-office functions and buying power. Jet Linx has not disclosed the commercial terms for alliance members or how many operators it plans to admit. Operators can apply through an inquiry form on the Jet Linx website, which says alliance members can grow without investing in every capability themselves.

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