Private aviation company named nation’s fasting-growing

A local company has received national recognition in the aviation industry. 

For the second consecutive year, Clearwater-based FlyUSA has been named the fastest growing private jet company in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine. The organization offers charter, acquisition and aircraft management services for its clients. 

Shevlin

For FlyUSA CEO and co-founder Barry Shevlin, it’s an honor. 

“It’s validation that we’re doing the right thing,” he said. “Our customers like the service that we are delivering and continuously refer new clients and plane owners to us.” 

The company was established in 2020 by Shevlin and his son-in-law, William Holtz, right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Their goal was to build a cost-effective solution for aircraft owners as well as individuals who do not own a plane but prefer private transportation. 

FlyUSA first earned a million dollars in monthly revenue in March 2022. 

 “That’s the point when we realized we really had something and we started putting a lot more focus on building a business that could be scaled,” Shevlin explained. 

The customer experience is a key aspect of the company’s business model. Shevlin said that the organization strives to offer services that are “responsive, personalized and easy.” 

FlyUSA currently manages 30 aircraft, owned by clients, and charters about half of them. 

The fleet includes a variety of aircraft such as Pilatus PC-12 turboprops, Cessna Citation jets and larger Dassault Falcon jets for longer flights. Managing aircraft rather than owning them is part of the company’s “asset-light” strategy, Shevlin explained. 

Technology is also at the heart of the organization. 

FlyUSA recently launched a beta app to improve the flight booking experience. As an example, Shevlin highlighted how customers have traditionally received PDF documents after scheduling a flight outlining their trip.  

“Emailing PDF documents is not a great customer experience,” he explained. “So we really want to move that in the app so that we can make it easier for customers.” 

FlyUSA’s projected revenue for 2025 is between $75 million to $80 million. On the magazine’s 2025 5000 list for fastest growing private companies in the country, the organization ranked #419. 

Shevlin believes that the industry will continue to grow and that the pandemic played a role. 

 “During Covid, it was a safety and health issue because people didn’t want to fly commercial,” he explained. “I think there has been a wider acceptance and adoption of private aviation.”