Matthew Harris named CEO of Northern Jet as Chris Bull moves to co-chairman

Matthew Harris has been named CEO of Northern Jet, the charter and fractional aircraft operator. Chris Bull, who has led Northern Jet as CEO since the 2023 merger that formed the company, moves to co-chairman alongside Chuck Cox.

Harris joins from Magellan Jets, where he moved in June from chief operating officer to chief strategy officer. He had been with the Boston-based company since 2023. During his tenure there, Magellan Jets entered the fractional ownership market and made two technology acquisitions.

Harris's background

Harris spent 14 years at NetJets, ultimately as Executive Vice President of Owner and Employee Service. In that role, he led service delivery for more than 5,000 corporate and high-net-worth customers and aircraft owners. He is a graduate of Florida Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Aviation Management.

Harris also co-founded The Milestone Aviation Group and served as its chief operating officer, helping build the helicopter leasing business to more than $4 billion in assets.

The leadership transition

As CEO, Harris will oversee flight operations, maintenance, customer experience, and the teams that support Northern Jet's three core programs: aircraft management, fractional aircraft ownership, and the Private Advantage Card jet card program.

Bull, in his new co-chairman role, will concentrate on the company's growth, including new programs, strategic partnerships, and market expansion. According to Private Jet Card Comparisons, Bull commented that Harris "shares that philosophy and brings the leadership, experience, and operational discipline to carry it forward as we enter our next chapter of growth." Bull added, "With Matthew leading the business day-to-day, I can focus more of my energy on Northern Jet's long-term vision, strategic opportunities, and where we go next."

Bull concluded, "Most importantly, our customers gain a CEO who understands that in private aviation, every detail matters and every trip is personal."

Chuck Cox, co-chairman alongside Bull, said that Harris "has led service for some of the most demanding flyers in the world, and he understands that in this business, trust is earned one flight at a time."

Harris said of the move, "What drew me to Northern Jet is that the promise is real. Personal, Private, Authentic isn't a slogan here. You see it in a team that knows its customers by name, and in an operator that flies its own aircraft to its own standards. My job is to protect that and to build the operating backbone that lets it grow: safety first, every time, and then service that makes every hour of a customer's time count."