Thrive Aviation Appoints Bobby Perez as Vice President of Charter Sales
Why It MattersHiring a charter executive who has worked both broker-side and operator-side shows how operators with growing fleets are building sales leadership around broker relationships as they add fractional and jet card offerings.
What happened
Thrive Aviation, a private aviation company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, announced on Nov. 12, 2026 the appointment of Bobby Perez, CAM, as vice president of charter sales. Perez brings nearly two decades of business aviation experience. His remit covers expanding Thrive's charter presence, developing strategic partnerships with charter brokers and operators, and enhancing the company's ability to deliver reliable, high-quality charter solutions.
Perez most recently served as Vice President of Charter Services at Clay Lacy Aviation, where he led charter sales strategy, managed key client relationships and oversaw a team. He has worked on both the broker and operator sides of the industry. He was recently named a recipient of the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA) 2026 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 award and holds the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) designation.
Thrive CEO Curtis Edenfield said the company is excited to welcome Perez as it continues to grow. Perez said transparency and consistently delivering on commitments are nonnegotiables he shares with Thrive.
The appointment comes as Thrive's fleet has grown to more than 30 aircraft and the company has recently launched a fractional ownership program in collaboration with Arulean Air, a Honda Aircraft Company subsidiary. Founded in 2018, Thrive provides on-demand charter, aircraft management, jet card memberships, fractional ownership and aircraft maintenance, and describes itself as one of the world's top 10 largest private jet operators.
Industry impact & what to watch
A dedicated vice president of charter sales is a sign of where an operator sees its next stage of growth. Thrive already sells several products, from jet cards to fractional ownership, and charter is the line that depends most on third-party relationships: brokers decide which operators' aircraft reach a given trip, and they weigh reliability and responsiveness heavily. Putting a leader with experience on both the broker and operator sides in charge of that channel is a way of treating those relationships as a strategic asset rather than a by-product of fleet size.
The move also reflects how operator economics tend to work as fleets grow. More aircraft raise the pressure to keep them flying revenue hours, and a fleet of more than 30 gives Thrive capacity that charter sales can help fill alongside its management, jet card and fractional programs. Operators in that position typically compete less on price alone and more on whether brokers trust the aircraft to show up as promised, which is the commitment Perez himself named as nonnegotiable.
The practical test will be visible in the partnerships Thrive announces with brokers and operators, and in how its charter offering sits alongside the new fractional program with Arulean Air.
