Wheels Up bets on faster returns to service

A five-year, flat-rate landing gear deal now covers one of the largest Phenom 300 fleets in the world as Av8, part of Victor Sierra, announced on Oct. 12 an exclusive new landing-gear maintenance agreement with Wheels Up. The arrangement includes overhaul support and access to Av8's landing-gear exchange pool. Av8 states that its support is backed by over 300 FAA-PMA approvals for the Phenom platform and its in-house RSDER-approved repair procedures. The company offers flat-rate pricing across the program and claims to have the longest warranty ever offered on Phenom 300 landing gear. While aircraft maintenance costs can be predictable, downtime is often less predictable and, in some cases, more expensive. As fleets age and major maintenance events become more frequent, operators increasingly look for solutions that shorten service interruptions rather than simply reducing invoice amounts. By using Av8's exchange pool, Wheels Up can return Phenom 300 aircraft to service without waiting for individual gear assemblies to complete overhaul cycles. "In Q2, Wheels Up achieved the highest Completion Rate and On-Time Performance in our company's history, and partnerships like this one are how we sustain that standard as the fleet grows," said Dave Holtz, COO of Wheels Up. "Av8's support brings added predictability to our Phenom 300 operations, and we look forward to working with their team as we continue to scale our modernized fleet." Five-year commitments suggest that both companies view fleet growth and utilization as durable trends rather than short-term opportunities. It reflects the growing importance of aftermarket support providers in business aviation. Operators once selected aircraft primarily on performance and acquisition cost. Increasingly, they evaluate the maintenance ecosystem surrounding the aircraft as well. That ecosystem can influence operating economics long after the purchase decision has been made.