Northern Jet

Big-picture snapshot

Northern Jet is a Part 135 charter and aircraft management operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with additional bases in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Naples, Florida. The company was formed in July 2023 through the merger of Northern Jet Management (Grand Rapids, founded 1995) and SpeedBird (Orlando/Naples), and rebranded as "Northern Jet" in November 2023. It operates a fleet of approximately 37-40+ aircraft — primarily Learjet 45 variants and Cessna Citation CE525 family (CJ3, CJ4), with additional types including Challenger and helicopters. Northern Jet employs 100+ pilots and 200+ total employees, generating $110M+ in annual revenue. The company is non-union. Chris Bull (founder of SpeedBird) serves as CEO, and Chuck Cox (who led Northern Jet Management since 1995) serves as Chairman.

For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Northern Jet is this: it is a rapidly growing, mid-size Part 135 charter and management operator formed by the merger of two established companies — combining NJM's nearly 30-year track record in the Midwest with SpeedBird's Florida-based operations. The combined entity emerged as a Top 20 US operator. Northern Jet offers a salary-based compensation model (no hourly pay), dedicated customer terminals at all three bases, and a schedule structure (8/6 or 15/13) with no reserve positions. CE525 Captain pay is approximately $145,000/year, and company-paid type ratings, CTP, and ATP training make it accessible for pilots building toward Part 121 careers or seeking a long-term Part 135 home. Upgrade timelines of 6-14 months are notably fast.

Company history

• 1995: Chuck Cox founded Northern Jet Management (NJM) in Grand Rapids, Michigan
• 2000s-2010s: NJM grew steadily as a Midwest charter and aircraft management operator based at KGRR
• SpeedBird founded by Chris Bull, establishing operations in Orlando (KMCO) and Naples (KAPF), Florida
• March 2023: Merger of Northern Jet Management and SpeedBird announced
• July 2023: Merger completed — combined entity becomes a Top 20 US operator
• November 2023: Rebranded as "Northern Jet" with Chris Bull as CEO and Chuck Cox as Chairman
• 2025: SpeedBird's "10 or more" certificate approved; Challenger added to charter certificate; strong operational performance
• January 2026: Added large-cabin jet card program; continued expansion of managed fleet

Business model

Northern Jet operates across several interconnected business lines:

• Part 135 charter: On-demand charter flights across the light, midsize, and large-cabin categories. The fleet covers short domestic hops through longer-range missions.
• Aircraft management: Owners place their aircraft under Northern Jet's certificate for charter revenue generation, maintenance oversight, crew staffing, and regulatory compliance. This is the core revenue driver alongside charter.
• Jet card programs: Recently expanded to include large-cabin jet cards (January 2026), adding a recurring-revenue product to the charter business.
• Aircraft transactions: Buying, selling, and brokering aircraft for owners and operators.
• Dedicated customer terminals: All three bases (Grand Rapids, Orlando, Naples) have dedicated customer-facing terminals — a differentiator for client experience.

The merger combined NJM's Midwest client base and operational history with SpeedBird's Southeast US presence and growing fleet, creating geographic diversity and a larger combined certificate.

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