WCC Aviation Holdings to Acquire 30% of PhilJets: Business Aviation Expansion
WCC Aviation Holdings has agreed to acquire a 30% stake in Manila-based PhilJets Aero Services, expanding into business aviation and helicopter operations.
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
WCC Aviation Holdings has agreed to acquire a 30% equity stake in PhilJets Aero Services, a Manila-based business jet and helicopter operator, marking a significant step into business aviation for the Philippine education and aviation group. The agreement was signed on 15 October 2026, according to AeroTime.
Financial terms have not been disclosed. The deal builds on a working relationship between the two companies stretching back approximately a decade, as Aviation Business News reports.
What WCC Aviation Holdings Brings to the Deal
WCC Aviation Holdings already operates across several segments of the aviation industry. Its portfolio includes WCC Aeronautical and Technological College (WCC ATC), WCC Pilot Academy and regional airline Sky Pasada, covering education, pilot training and scheduled airline operations.
The parent organisation behind those businesses, World Citi Colleges, has more than 50 years of history. It currently serves over 20,000 students across 30 hectares of facilities and claims to have produced more than 200,000 employed graduates, according to AeroTime.
What PhilJets Aero Services Does
PhilJets provides fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft services to customers in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. Its work covers aircraft management, charter operations, maintenance, avionics, engine and airframe support, flight dispatch and ground handling, as Aviation Business News notes.
The company manages a mixed fleet spanning types from Gulfstream and Bombardier to Cessna Citation, as well as Airbus and Bell helicopters. PhilJets is also the representative of Safran Helicopter Engines for civil and commercial customers in the region, according to AeroTime.
You can explore operators and fleets in the region using the Airline Search tool.
The Agreement and Who Signed It
The deal was signed by WCC Aviation Holdings President Dr Raymond Patrick V. Guico and PhilJets Chairman Thierry Tea, who founded the company. Both signatories have spoken publicly about the rationale for the partnership.
"Our vision is to connect the full journey, from educating aviation professionals and training pilots to serving passengers and growing aviation businesses," Guico said, as quoted by AeroTime. "This investment in PhilJets advances that vision, creating opportunities for our businesses to grow and for aviation talent to move forward."
Tea said the partnership would help "further strengthen the aviation ecosystem and build on stronger safety, quality and innovation", adding that the companies were entering "a new era of opportunities in the Philippines aviation industry".
Developing Filipino Aviation Talent
A central aim of the partnership is building career pathways for Filipino aviation professionals. PhilJets already runs an on-the-job training scheme and a Management Training Programme, through which more than 300 participants have passed, according to AeroTime.
Graduates from those programmes have gone on to work at Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Lufthansa Technik, while others have built careers across Asia, the Middle East and North America.
Under the new arrangement, the two companies plan to develop student immersion, mentoring, practical training and employment pathways. The focus will be on areas including flight planning, flight dispatch, maintenance procedures and safety practices, as Aviation Business News reports.
A Bet on Southeast Asian Aviation Growth
The investment comes as business aviation and air travel continue to expand across Southeast Asia. For WCC, the deal adds business jet and helicopter operations to a portfolio that previously focused on training and regional airline flying.
For PhilJets, the partnership brings in a strategic shareholder whose schools and training programmes could help supply its future workforce. Both companies have stated their intention to grow their businesses, expand capabilities and develop aviation talent across the Philippines and the wider ASEAN region, according to AeroTime.
The Bottom Line
This transaction is a logical step for both parties. WCC Aviation Holdings closes a gap in its end-to-end aviation model by adding business aviation services, while PhilJets gains a shareholder with deep roots in Filipino aviation education and a ready pipeline of trained graduates.
The deal is relatively modest in scale, a 30% minority stake with undisclosed financials, but its strategic logic is clear. If the two organisations can align their training programmes with operational demand, the partnership could help address the broader pilot and technician shortage that is pressing airlines and operators across Southeast Asia.
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