Wheels Up and Delta Air Lines have closed on their previously announced transaction and partnership agreement. Together they are unveiling cross-platform benefits for existing and prospective Wheels Up members and Delta customers that they say cannot be found anywhere else in the private aviation industry.

The closing officially combines Delta Private Jets (DPJ) with Wheels Up, pairing the latter’s membership programmes, digital platform and lifestyle experiences with DPJ’s reliability, safety, service and scale. The combination creates one of the world's largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft, totalling nearly 200 planes ranging from the King Air 350i to large-cabin jets. With this expanded private fleet and access to Delta's global network, Wheels Up is strategically positioned to fulfil all the travel needx of its now more than 8,000 members and customers.

In the weeks ahead, the companies will be communicating directly with customers to roll out partnership benefits and other programme features. For example, Wheels Up members will be eligible to earn Delta Medallion Status, accrue miles in Delta's SkyMiles loyalty programme, and use their Wheels Up Fund programme balances to pay for Wheels Up private and Delta commercial flights. Likewise, DPJ customers will have the opportunity to receive exclusive Wheels Up membership offerings, experiences and access to the Wheels Up fleet.

“Together, Wheels Up and Delta will democratise the industry to make private flying and the private flying lifestyle accessible to significantly more individuals and businesses around the world,” states Wheels Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter. “By adding DPJ and partnering with Delta, our membership platform has evolved to one that can fulfil a vast range of flight needs on a very large scale.”

As part of this transaction Delta's chief operating officer Gil West has joined the Wheels Up board of directors.

“This innovative partnership is the latest step in Delta's efforts to transform travel into a part of the journey to look forward to,” West says. “Bringing together the Delta brand, DPJ's renowned reliability and scale, and the exceptional experiences that are the hallmark of Wheels Up, opens up a whole new world of travel options to more travellers than ever before.”

The teams will be working together to ensure a seamless transition for all employees and customers. DPJ employees will continue to operate out of their current location in Cincinnati, Ohio.