What Aero Star Aviation does

Aero Star Aviation is an FAA and AFAC Part 145 certified independent aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider headquartered at Dallas Love Field (DAL), with a satellite operation at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) dedicated to transient and AOG response. Founded in 2013 by Christopher Grinnell, the company focuses on Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 light jets and Praetor 500/600 and Legacy 500 super-midsize platforms, and in March 2026 expanded airframe support to Cessna Citation 560XLS, Sovereign, and Latitude models. Core services include scheduled phase inspections, 120-month (10-year) major inspections, engine removal and installation, avionics troubleshooting and certification, landing gear overhaul, pre-purchase evaluations, and mobile AOG response.

The company's primary technical differentiator is single-OEM platform specialization: technicians have maintained Phenom aircraft since the platform's first delivery in 2008, supported by an investment of over $125,000 in Phenom-specific tooling (including flap interface and flight control electronics interface units), an expanded facility footprint of more than 82,000 sq ft of hangar and 48,000 sq ft of shop/office space, and a proprietary AI-powered troubleshooting assistant ("Ava") launched in October 2025 and trained on Aero Star's internal Phenom and Praetor knowledge base. Ava provides text-based retrieval support to technicians in real time. The company also installs the True Blue Power TS56 emergency battery on Phenom 300 via STC SA04761NY.

Aero Star runs a direct field and inside sales go-to-market with quote-based project and hourly pricing ($170/hr onsite, $250/hr offsite, $210/hr unscheduled), targeting individually owned business jets and managed fleets across North America and Mexico. Revenue streams span professional maintenance services, maintenance management programs, pre-purchase consulting, and battery retrofit installations. The company is privately held by founder Chris Grinnell, has no disclosed institutional capital, and to date has not raised external funding.

Name

Aero Star Aviation

Legal name

Aero Star Aviation, LLC.

Website

https://aerostaraviation.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aero Star Aviation is an FAA Part 145 certified independent MRO at Dallas Love Field providing scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, 10-year inspections, and AOG support for Embraer Phenom, Praetor, Legacy, and Citation business jets across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO)

akta.pro primary industry

Airframe Maintenance & Structural Repair (Line/Base) (TLAKAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Aviation Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) (THABAFAI), Modifications, STC & Retrofit Integration (IMABALAM), Commercial Airframe MRO (Heavy Checks & Structural) (IMABALAA), Landing Gear & Wheel/Brake MRO (TLAKAJAD), Maintenance Planning, CAMO & Technical Records/Continuing Airworthiness (TLAKAJAJ)

Keywords

• Business jet MRO services
• Embraer Phenom maintenance
• Aircraft inspection services
• FAA Part 145 repair
• Citation airframe maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Core revenue stream from scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, inspections, engine removal/installation, avionics repair and certification, insurance repairs, and AOG (Aircraft on Ground) support for Embraer and Citation aircraft.
2. Aircraft Consulting Services: Consulting services for aircraft purchasing including maintenance management and modification planning. Assists with FAA requirements, maintenance downtime analysis, and annual budget planning.
3. Maintenance Management Services: Personalized approach to managing aircraft maintenance with dedicated personnel for planning, scheduling, and managing maintenance activities. Includes trade resources and professional insight on Embraer Phenom maintenance.
4. 10-Year Inspection Services: 120-month (10-year) major inspections for Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft including full structural inspection, landing gear overhaul, and comprehensive systems review.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aero Star Aviation is an FAA and AFAC Part 145 certified MRO facility that performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, 120-month major inspections, engine removal and installation, avionics troubleshooting and certification, insurance repairs, and AOG support for Embraer Phenom 100/300, Praetor 500/600, and Legacy 500 aircraft, with expanded capability for Cessna Citation 560XLS, Sovereign, and Latitude airframes. The firm also delivers aircraft acquisition consulting and ongoing maintenance management programs, augmented by a proprietary AI assistant (Ava) that provides technicians with real-time access to Phenom and Praetor maintenance data.

Product overview

Aero Star Aviation is an FAA Part 145 certified aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility providing specialized services for business jets. The company's portfolio centers on Embraer platforms (Phenom 100, Phenom 300, Praetor 500, Praetor 600, Legacy 500) with expanded capabilities for Cessna Citation aircraft (560XLS, Sovereign, Latitude). Core offerings include scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, 120-month major inspections, engine services, avionics troubleshooting, and AOG support. The company operates from facilities at Dallas Love Field (82,000 sq ft hangar, 48,000 sq ft office/shop) and Fort Lauderdale. Aero Star has implemented a proprietary AI assistant called Ava to enhance technician troubleshooting capabilities. The company also offers the True Blue Power Emergency Battery (TS56) as an installed product accessory for Embraer aircraft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• True Blue: A product line for emergency battery power supply upgrades, including the TS56 Emergency Battery for Embraer Phenom 300 aircraft via STC SA04761NY.

Products and services

• Phenom 300 Maintenance Services Comprehensive maintenance for Embraer Phenom 300 and 300E aircraft, including scheduled phase inspections, landing gear overhaul, PW535E engine services, Garmin avionics troubleshooting, and full airframe support as an FAA Part 145 repair station at 20-30% lower cost than OEM-authorized centers.
• Phenom 100 Maintenance Services Comprehensive maintenance for Embraer Phenom 100 (EMB-500) aircraft including PW617F engine removal, inspection, and installation. Provided depth of hands-on experience since the aircraft's first deliveries.
• Praetor 500 Maintenance Services Maintenance services for Embraer Praetor 500 aircraft with over 82,000 sq ft of hangar space and Embraer-specific tooling at Dallas Love Field, supporting both individually owned aircraft and managed fleets with dedicated maintenance management coordinators.
• Praetor 600 Maintenance Services Maintenance services for Embraer Praetor 600 super-midsize aircraft, leveraging exclusive Embraer platform focus for systems-level understanding including scheduled phase inspections and engine services.
• Legacy 500 Maintenance Services Maintenance services for Embraer Legacy 500 aircraft featuring fly-by-wire control system and full glass cockpit avionics, including scheduled inspections, 120-month major inspection, landing gear overhaul, and Honeywell HTF7500E engine services.
• Citation 560XLS Maintenance Services Comprehensive maintenance for Cessna Citation 560XLS and XLS+ aircraft including scheduled phase inspections, PW545C engine maintenance, Pro Line 21 avionics certification, landing gear services, and pre-purchase evaluations.
• Citation Latitude Maintenance Services Maintenance services for Cessna Citation Latitude aircraft including MSG-3 phase inspections, PW306D1 engine services, Garmin G5000 avionics certification and troubleshooting, landing gear overhaul, and aircraft maintenance management program.
• Citation Sovereign Maintenance Services Airframe maintenance and support services for Cessna Citation Sovereign business jets, delivered under the same Embraer-style technical excellence and customer-focused service model.
• Aircraft Maintenance Services General aircraft maintenance including pre-purchase evaluations, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, engine removal, installation and maintenance, insurance repair, avionics repair and certification, and AOG (Aircraft on Ground) support.
• Aircraft Consulting Services Consulting services assisting with aircraft purchasing decisions, including maintenance management and modification planning, providing professional insight on aircraft acquisition and FAA regulatory requirements.
• Maintenance Management Services Personalized approach to managing Embraer Praetor, Phenom, and Citation aircraft maintenance with dedicated personnel responsible for planning, scheduling, and managing maintenance activities. Available at Dallas, TX and Fort Lauderdale, FL locations.
• 120-Month (10-Year) Inspection Services Comprehensive 120-month maintenance inspection and landing gear overhaul for Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft. Includes full structural inspection, complete landing gear overhaul, and thorough review of all systems, components, and airworthiness directives. Delivered 20-30% below OEM-authorized center pricing.
• Ava AI Maintenance Tool Ava is a proprietary AI virtual assistant trained on Aero Star's Phenom and Praetor knowledge base. It provides technicians real-time access to maintenance data during troubleshooting, reducing diagnosis time and increasing repair accuracy for Embraer Phenom 100/300 aircraft.
• True Blue Power Emergency Battery (TS56) Installation True Blue Power Emergency Battery (Model TS56, Part No. 6430056-1) installation for Embraer Phenom 300 via STC SA04761NY. Configuration: 24.7 VDC, 3 A, 56 Wh, 22-pin circular connector, NiMH battery. Direct replacement for legacy NiCad batteries (P/N 640-13595-00 / 7450LS-00), increasing dispatch reliability and reducing AOG.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-30% cost savings versus OEM-authorized service centers for 120-month inspections
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Duncan Aviation: The largest independent business aviation MRO in North America with multiple full-service facilities; offers scheduled maintenance, major inspections, avionics, and AOG support across many business jet platforms (Gulfstream, Bombardier, Cessna Citation, Embraer). Direct competitor to Aero Star in the independent Embraer/Citation MRO space.
• West Star Aviation: Independent business jet MRO operating multiple facilities (Illinois, Colorado, Georgia) with full airframe, avionics, paint, and interior capabilities. Directly competes for the same Phenom, Praetor, and Citation operators Aero Star targets, though with broader platform coverage.
• Elliott Aviation: Independent MRO specializing in Beechcraft, Cessna Citation, and Embraer Phenom/Eagle platforms across Midwest locations. Offers similar airframe, avionics, and major inspection services to independent operators.
• Western Aircraft: Embraer Authorized Service Center and independent MRO in Boise, Idaho with significant Phenom/Praetor expertise. Direct competitor in the Embraer maintenance niche Aero Star has built its reputation on.
• Premier Air Center: Embraer Authorized Service Center focused on Phenom and Legacy platforms in the northeast US. Directly overlaps with Aero Star's core Embraer maintenance offering and competes for similar North American business jet operators.

Broad incumbents

• Jet Aviation: One of the largest global business aviation MRO and FBO operators with facilities across North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Provides scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, major inspections, and modifications across all major business jet OEMs — a scaled incumbent comparable in service breadth to Aero Star's offerings.
• StandardAero: Large independent MRO provider with extensive business aviation capabilities including airframe, engine, avionics, and modifications across multiple platforms. Competitor at the high end of the independent MRO segment.
• Textron Aviation Service Centers: The OEM service network for Cessna Citation, Beechcraft, and Hawker platforms. Aero Star's Citation expansion (March 2026) directly competes with these OEM-authorized facilities for the same midsize jet maintenance work, and represents the benchmark against which Aero Star's 20-30% cost savings is measured.
• Embraer Executive Jets Service Network: OEM-run and OEM-authorized service network for the Phenom, Praetor, and Legacy families. Direct incumbent in the platform Aero Star has built its specialty around; represents both a competitor and a potential partner/takeover target.

Regional players

• Comlux Aviation: Global business aviation services provider with strong presence in Europe, Middle East, and Americas. Comparable full-service MRO and completion center for ultra-long-range and super-midsize jets (including Embraer platforms), relevant as Aero Star lacks comparable international reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aerostaraviationllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aero-star-aviation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aero Star Aviation