Founder, Chairman, and CEO of flyExclusive
12,000
Hours Total Time
8
Jet Type Ratings
ATP
Airline Transport Pilot
Seaplane & Helicopter
Also Rated
flyExclusive began as one man's vision. Today, Founder, Chairman, and CEO Jim Segrave leads one of North America's largest and most innovative private jet operators. An aviator himself with about 12,000 hours of flight time and an Airline Transport Pilot License, Jim Segrave started Segrave Aviation in the mid-1990s before selling it to Delta Air Lines in 2010. He then pioneered the one-way, floating feet model in private aviation — the idea that trips are priced point to point, not round trip. A simple premise that you only pay for what you fly — the idea that flyExclusive built its programs around.
Jim Segrave was born in Kinston, North Carolina where he grew flyExclusive into one of the top 3 private aviation companies in the U.S. Keeping a national operation rooted in a small town was a deliberate choice, and it’s why the experience feels personal.
“A good company is profitable, growing and providing opportunity for career advancement. A great company has fully engaged team members who are passionate about what they do, always striving for excellence, constant improvement and delivering world-class products and services.”
Jim Segrave
Building the operator
Under Segrave's leadership, flyExclusive operates a fleet of over 90 light, mid and super-midsize jets. Founded in 2015, the company now employs nearly 800 professionals and generated estimated annual revenues exceeding $350 million last year. In December 2023, flyExclusive went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FLYX, further solidifying its position as a leader in private aviation.
flyExclusive holds a Worldwide Operating Certificate from the FAA, enabling it to provide private aviation services across the globe. That certification underscores the company's dedication to safety, compliance and operational excellence.
The company is known for its state-of-the-art electrostatic paint facility, interior refurbishment shop, and comprehensive maintenance and avionics services — all based at its Kinston headquarters. Its programs, among them Jet Club (winner of the 2022 Robb Report Best of the Best award) and Fractional Ownership, reflect a commitment to reimagining private aviation and delivering exceptional value to clients.
The culture
“Every minute matters in aviation.”
flyExclusive's success rests on the culture that Segrave has built: humble professionals uniting around a shared commitment to a larger cause. With an emphasis on safety, precision, and customer satisfaction, Segrave instills the belief that every minute matters in aviation. This philosophy fuels operational excellence and a focus on the company's guiding principles: safety first, efficiency, and teamwork. The result is a workplace that Segrave has fostered where employees are empowered to deliver extraordinary experiences for customers.
His vision for the company is equally plain: to be the best operator in private aviation, not necessarily the biggest. The focus is on the best planes, the best pilots and the best customer service, in a workplace where people can build a career. That commitment shows up everywhere — in the vertically integrated model, and in the Partnership, Jet Club and Fractional Ownership programs.
Recognition & service
Segrave has been named to the North Carolina Power List of Most Influential Leaders for the past three years. In 2024 he received the Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizen Award and the Key to the City from the Mayor of Kinston, recognizing his impact on the community and his work driving local growth.
He serves on the Quality Equipment Board of Directors, which owns and operates 38 John Deere dealerships, and the Board of Directors of L Harvey & Son, one of North Carolina's oldest privately held businesses, founded in 1871. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at East Carolina University, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Industrial Advisory Board, and the National Business Aviation Association Leadership Council.
With a deep commitment to giving back, Segrave is passionate about supporting local communities and fostering talent. His investments in Kinston and beyond reflect a belief in creating opportunity and building a legacy of innovation, collaboration and excellence. His career is defined by an ability to merge entrepreneurial ingenuity with a profound respect for people, safety and service.
An advisor will walk you through Jet Club, fractional and charter, and what each one costs.
