SEC Form S-8 filed by Wheels Up Experience Inc.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 11, 2025

Registration No. 333-                    

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

WHEELS UP EXPERIENCE INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

2135 American Way

Chamblee, Georgia 30341

Telephone: (212) 257-5252

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of principal executive offices)

Wheels Up Experience Inc. Performance Award Agreement, dated March 31, 2025

(Full title of the plan)

Matthew J. Knopf, Esq.

Chief Legal Officer

2135 American Way

Chamblee, Georgia 30341

Telephone: (212) 257-5252

(Name and address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With copies to:

Steven Khadavi, Esq.

Heather M. Ducat, Esq.

Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

600 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 3000

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

Telephone: (404)-885-3000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

The information specified in Items 1 and 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in this Part I will be delivered to the participant(s) in the Wheels Up Experience Inc. Performance Award Agreement, dated March 31, 2025, granted by Wheels Up Experience Inc. (the “Company”) to John Verkamp, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, as required by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents filed with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

All documents that the Company subsequently files pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than any portions of the respective filings that are furnished, rather than filed, pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Current Reports on Form 8-K including exhibits related thereto or other applicable SEC rules) and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement indicating that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Any statement contained in this Registration Statement, or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed document that also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. The DGCL provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. The Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for indemnification by the Company of its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director or officer of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except for liability (1) for any breach of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL (providing for liability of directors for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions or other distributions), (4) for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit or (5) for any action by or in the right of the corporation with respect to an officer. The Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 15, 2023, provides for such limitation of liability with respect to directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

The Company entered, and expects to continue to enter into, indemnification agreements with its directors and executive officers. Each indemnification agreement provides for indemnification and advancement by the Company of certain expenses and costs, if the basis of the indemnitee’s involvement was by reason of the fact that the indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or was serving at the Company’s request in an official capacity for another entity, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the state of Delaware.

The Company maintains standard insurance policies that provide coverage to its directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and with respect to indemnification payments that the Company may make to such directors and officers.

Not applicable.

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

*            Filed herewith.

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Chamblee, Georgia, on June 11, 2025.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW BY ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints George Mattson, John Verkamp and Matthew Knopf, acting alone or together with another attorney-in-fact, acting as such person’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full and several power of substitution, for him or her and his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated and on the date indicated.