Kenny Dichter’s Real Jet

Kenny Dichter, who founded Wheels Up and innovated jet cards through Marquis Jet, is stepping back into private aviation, this time with a charter brokerage platform that will provide access to business aircraft operations without membership fees or long-term commitments.

Dichter, who departed from Wheels Up in mid-2023, unveiled his latest venture, Real Jet, rolling out a broad Real SLX platform that creates an “ecosystem,” with hospitality, unique experiences, and other curated benefits, in addition to private aircraft options.

The company said the platform is designed to remove “the last remaining barriers between aspirational private fliers and the skies” and builds on Dichter’s experience in broadening the market.

“We built Real SLX in order to put our members at the right events, in the right seats, next to the right people,” said Dichter, who is serving as chairman of the new entity. “Real Jet serves its customers in the same way—by connecting flyers with the right companies, the right aircraft, and the right people.”

Referring to his past with Marquis Jet, which developed 25-hour jet cards for NetJets lift, and Wheels Up, which aimed to democratize private aviation with a much lower entry-level cost, Dichter added: “What made Marquis Jet and Wheels Up successful wasn’t just aircraft. It was the people.”