Growing Private Aviation Startup Now Managing 42 Aircraft in More Than 12 States
Solairus Aviation marked the completion of its first year in business at the beginning of this month, following an exciting year of building the necessary infrastructure, certifications and accreditation needed to manage a top-tier, world-class operator of business aircraft.
In less than a year, Solairus obtained FAR Part 135 certification, achieved ARG/US Platinum status, earned “10 or more” seating/large cabin authority and worldwide operations specifications and finally, in January of this year, received IS-BAO certification.
“We knew that the biggest challenge in starting Solairus was not just in launching a new venture in this economy, but building a new organization with a new culture – and making sure that we had all the important components that need to be in place to be a competitor in this industry, in a very short period of time” said Solairus’ CEO Dan Drohan. “More than anything, we recognized that we absolutely had to have the right people in place; that was everything. And that team has done an incredible job in the last year. They’ve absolutely turned lemons into lemonade and I am very proud of them.”
The company’s fleet continues to grow, now numbering 42 aircraft under management, ranging from King Airs and Citations to Gulfstream and Global Express aircraft. The aircraft are based in more than a dozen states throughout the US. The fleet additions are the result of existing relationships held by the management team, as well as a concerted fleet development effort, which the company intends to step up in 2010.
“New buyers of aircraft are normally the people most interested in professional management, and as the market picks up we are seeing more opportunities to present our services to new owners” said Solairus’ Vice Chairman Jake Cartwright “At the same time, the effort we have made to gain brand recognition of the company on a national level, both within the industry and with current aircraft owners, is paying off. We have an ambitious, but attainable, fleet growth plan for 2010, so we are cautiously optimistic in our outlook right now.”