STA Jets to acquire International Jet, a Colorado charter operator since 1979

STA Jets, a private jet charter company based at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire International Jet of Centennial, Colorado. STA Jets announced the agreement on 15 October 2026. The release did not give a price or a closing date.

International Jet was founded in Long Beach, California, in 1979 and moved to Denver a year later. In 1980 it became the first Learjet charter operator at Centennial Airport. Today it is the longest-serving company at that airport.

What International Jet does

• Private jet charter, aircraft management and aircraft sales, under an FAA Part 135 certificate.
• A fleet that runs from turboprops to light, midsize, super-midsize and large-cabin jets.
• Its own private passenger terminal at Centennial Airport, with flight coordinators on duty around the clock.
• A Diamond Award of Excellence for its maintenance program.
• More than 10,000 medical transport flights over 25 years.

What STA Jets adds

STA Jets has operations bases in Van Nuys, San Jose, New York and Fort Lauderdale. International Jet adds a Colorado base, a terminal and a management and sales team to that network. Founder Kurt Belcher said "STA is growing with purpose and momentum." He also said STA wants to keep what makes International Jet strong while adding the size and reach of its own network.

Why it matters

Charter, aircraft management and sales now often sit under one roof, because the same aircraft moves between those jobs during its life. Taking over an established operator brings aircraft, owner contracts, staff and airport space in one step. For owners whose aircraft are managed by International Jet, the next questions will be about their agreements and crews once the sale closes.

On the Flying Engineer

STAjets has a page on the directory, and you can compare other operators on our aircraft charter page. Many of these companies meet this week at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, from 20 to 22 October 2026.

Source: STA Jets, STA Jets to acquire International Jet, continuing its rapid expansion throughout private aviation, PR Newswire, 15 October 2026.