Kenn Ricci

Kenn Ricci is an American aviation entrepreneur and investor widely recognized for his leadership in private aviation and aircraft services. He is the principal of Directional Aviation Capital, a private investment firm focused on aviation businesses, and serves as chairman of Flexjet, one of the world’s leading providers of fractional jet ownership, leasing, and charter services. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Ricci has founded, acquired, and led numerous companies that have shaped the modern private aviation industry.

Ricci began his entrepreneurial career in 1981 when he founded Corporate Wings, an aircraft management and charter company that quickly grew into a successful aviation operation. He later launched and developed several influential aviation enterprises, including Flight Options, which became one of the largest fractional jet ownership companies in the world within just a few years of its founding. Through Directional Aviation Capital, Ricci has built a portfolio of aviation companies spanning aircraft management, charter brokerage, maintenance and engineering, aviation training, and aircraft remanufacturing.

In 2013, Ricci led the acquisition of Flexjet from Bombardier Aerospace and invested heavily in expanding its global fleet and luxury services, helping position the company as a major player in the international private aviation market. He has also been involved in companies such as Nextant Aerospace, Sentient Jet, and Constant Aviation, contributing to innovations in aircraft services and private jet travel.

An accomplished pilot with thousands of flight hours in Gulfstream, Falcon, and Citation aircraft, Ricci has long combined his passion for aviation with entrepreneurship. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Throughout his career, he has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including the University of Notre Dame and the Smithsonian, and has been recognized for both his business achievements and philanthropic contributions.

Ricci has received many honors for his contributions to aviation, including the Living Legends of Aviation Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award and the Harvard Business School Dively Award for Entrepreneurship. His leadership and innovations have helped expand access to private aviation while shaping the growth and evolution of the global business aviation industry.