West Star Aviation, an East Alton, Illinois-based maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider for business aviation, completed the acquisition of DCJet on March 3, 2026. The deal integrates DCJet’s rapid field maintenance and Aircraft on Ground (AOG) services, bolstering West Star’s 24/7/365 response capabilities across the United States.
DCJet, founded in 2016 by Joe Ortiz, a retired military veteran, operates from five strategic locations: Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia, Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) in Illinois, Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida, Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle, Washington, and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The acquisition adds 106 specialized technicians to West Star’s roster, increasing its AOG-ready experts from 200 to over 250.
Stephen Maiden, CEO of West Star Aviation, stated, “DCJet has earned a strong reputation for how they show up for customers, quickly, professionally, and with deep technical capability. Their culture and approach fit naturally with ours. Together, we are strengthening our ability to support business aviation operators nationwide with faster response, greater coordination, and even more technical depth in the field.”
Joe Ortiz, President and Founder of DCJet, remarked, “By joining West Star Aviation, we gain additional scale and resources while staying focused on what has always defined DCJet: taking care of the customer, working as a team, and delivering solutions where and when they are needed most.” Ortiz will join West Star’s senior leadership team, overseeing part of its fleet business unit.
The transaction, backed by Greenbriar Equity Group, fills geographic gaps in West Star’s network along high-traffic corridors, enabling shorter response times and minimized aircraft downtime for operators. West Star, with over 79 years of experience and more than 3,000 professionals across multiple facilities, positions itself as the largest independent AOG network worldwide through this expansion.