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Flexjet and Riva Collaborate on Spectacular New Aircraft

The Riva Volare collection includes a Gulfstream G650 and a pair of Sikorsky S-76 helicopters with interiors that nod to the yacht brand’s 1960s-era Aquarama vessel

By Travis Levius
Private jet flying over lush green mountains during sunset, with a clear sky and distant rolling hills in the background.
This Flexjet G650 boasts interiors done in collaboration with Riva. Photo: Courtesy of Flexjet and Riva

With a 180-year pedigree creating some of the world’s most sought-after yachts, the Ferretti Group’s Riva brand is no novice to bespoke design. An ambitious partnership with fractional aircraft leader Flexjet, however, takes Riva’s famed Italian wooden powerboat aesthetic from the sea to the skies with Riva Volare, a newly-unveiled design collaboration outfitting a long-range Gulfstream G650 and a pair of Sikorsky S-76 helicopters.

Private jet, luxury helicopter, and sleek speedboat displayed in a spacious, modern hangar.
Flexjet and Riva collaborated on a plane and helicopters. Photo: Courtesy of Flexjet and Riva

“Why Flexjet and Riva? The answer is very simple: because beauty attracts beauty,” says Ferretti Group CEO’s Alberto Galassi, who—coincidentally—has 14 years of prior aviation business experience. Inspired by Riva’s iconic, mahogany-wrapped Aquarama yacht from the 1960s, Riva Volare (part of Flexjet’s LXi Cabin Collection) melds heritage craftsmanship with contemporary luxury, offering both brands’ ultra-affluent clients the opportunity to sail and fly in nautical style.

Why Flexjet and Riva? The answer is very simple: because beauty attracts beauty”

Following the partnership announcement in May 2024, Riva Volare’s marine-themed interiors took about four months to design and nine months to construct. “How do I make transportation feel bespoke or special? I can’t control the weather, I can’t control air traffic, but I can control the environment you’re in,” says Flexjet’s chairman Ken Ricci, a hands-on player in the interiors process.

Luxurious private jet interior with leather seats, a wooden table, books, and a flower arrangement, well-lit by natural light.
The Flexjet Riva Volare G650 boasts interiors with design details that nod to the yachting brand’s nautical splendor. Photo: Courtesy of Flexjet and Riva

In the eight-passenger helicopters and long-range Gulfstream G650 (it can shuttle up to 15 guests from New York to Tokyo and Singapore non-stop), modular, navy blue leather seats come accented with Riva’s aquamarine-colored piping, while the glossy, striped wood veneers evoke balmy Mediterranean cruises on a sleek powerboat. A photograph of choppy Caribbean waves taken from one of Flexjet’s helicopters informed the aircrafts’ abstract silken carpeting, consisting of a midnight blue base, black streaks, and notes of gray and turquoise.

Interior of a luxurious helicopter cabin with blue leather seats and ocean view through the windows.
Interior of the Flexjet Riva Volare helicopter. Photo: Courtesy of Flexjet and Riva

On the Gulfstream, a pop-up kibitzer upholstered in bright aquamarine and white stripes adds two seat options alongside plush gray sofas layered with branded blankets and pillows. Throughout the cabin, metallic trims lend a subtle yet appealing textural contrast.

According to Ricci, the most exciting aspect of the Riva Volare design was also its most challenging. “The jet’s wood-paneled seats, I had never seen that done in an airplane before,” he tells Galerie. The team had to navigate wood’s weighty properties (“weight is the death of an airplane for range, fuel,” he says) by using a special machine that steams laminate, which would then take to the seat’s curves once dry. “I understand the difficulty and level of craftsmanship it took an artist to do that.”

Helicopter flying over the ocean with fluffy clouds and ships in the distance at sunset.
Flexjet S-76 helicopter. Photo: Courtesy of Flexjet and Riva

One of the Riva Volare-branded Sikorsky S-76 helicopters will service Florida, while the other will take flight between Italy and the South of France, where Ferretti Group/Riva clients will receive preferential access. Other client perks offered through the Flexjet and Ferretti Group partnership include exclusive event invitations and special jet access for new delivery-bound Riva yacht owners.