Solairus Aviation
Solairus Aviation, founded in 2009 and based in Petaluma, California, manages 355+ private aircraft and provides on-demand charter and the Altitude 25 membership program for private aircraft owners, Fortune 500 flight departments, and discerning travelers across 75+ US base locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersPetaluma, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Solairus Aviation does
Solairus Aviation is a US-based private aviation services company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Petaluma, California. The company operates two integrated lines of business: aircraft management services for private jet owners and on-demand private jet charter services. Aircraft management is the core offering, providing flight, maintenance, and safety operations on behalf of aircraft owners and generating supplemental charter revenue from those managed assets. Charter services are delivered through a direct sales team, the Altitude 25 membership program (25-hour subscription blocks at fixed hourly rates of $9,500 to $20,500), and access to an external worldwide charter network when internal fleet capacity is insufficient.
The technology stack is operationally focused rather than product-led. Solairus maintains two proprietary mobile applications: a charter booking app launched in December 2020 that allows search, booking, payment, and in-app chat, and an aircraft management app launched in February 2022 that integrates with an Oracle-powered Accounting Portal for financial reporting. In May 2024, the company deployed an AI-enabled Applicant Tracking System as part of a revamped careers site to reduce hiring time. No public APIs, SDKs, or third-party developer integrations are disclosed.
Solairus's go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise sales: a charter sales team handles quote requests and trip coordination, while Altitude 25 targets frequent flyers seeking guaranteed availability without jet-card or fractional ownership commitments. The customer base consists of private aircraft owners, Fortune 500 flight departments (audited and approved by several), and discerning leisure/business travelers. The company reports 75+ base locations, a managed fleet of 355+ aircraft, and more than 2,300 flight crew and support personnel, with safety credentials including ARG/US Platinum, Wyvern Wingman, and IS-BAO Stage 3 certification. No revenue, funding, or ownership figures are publicly disclosed; the company is privately held and founder-led by CEO Dan Drohan.
Solairus Aviation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solairus Aviation
- Legal name
- Solairus Aviation
- Website
- https://solairus.aero
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Solairus Aviation, founded in 2009 and based in Petaluma, California, manages 355+ private aircraft and provides on-demand charter and the Altitude 25 membership program for private aircraft owners, Fortune 500 flight departments, and discerning travelers across 75+ US base locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solairus Aviation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Aviation Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business Jet Charter (On-Demand) (THABAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Jet Charter (Midsize/Super-Midsize/Heavy Jet) (TLAFABAB)
Keywords
Where Solairus Aviation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Petaluma
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Solairus Aviation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Aircraft Management Services: Core business assisting aircraft owners with safe, reliable, and efficient management and operation of their aircraft. Services are customized to meet individual travel and financial requirements.
- Private Jet Charter: Charter services offering personalized travel solutions tailored to specific requirements. Team coordinates diverse range of private travel requests with access to vast global aircraft network.
- Altitude 25 Charter Membership: Private membership charter program with 25-hour blocks, all-inclusive pricing, guaranteed availability, no positioning charges, streamlined booking, transparent account processing, and interchangeable charter hours with no long-term commitment.
- Aviation Support Services: Additional services including aviation consulting and support services for aircraft owners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Light Jets - Very Light/Light category aircraft |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-Size Jets |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Super Mid-Size Jets |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Heavy Jets |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Ultra Long Range Jets |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Solairus Aviation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solairus Aviation is a U.S.-based private aviation services company that primarily assists aircraft owners with the safe, reliable, and efficient management and operation of their aircraft. It also offers on-demand private jet charter services and the Altitude 25 membership charter program, operating a fleet of 355+ aircraft across 75+ U.S. base locations and supplementing capacity with a vetted worldwide charter network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Altitude: Private membership charter club offering all-inclusive pricing, streamlined booking, transparent account processing, and no long-term commitments required. Features 25-hour charter program with guaranteed availability to Solairus Managed Charter Fleet.
- Altitude 25
Products and services
- Aircraft Management Services Full-service outsourced management of private aircraft covering flight operations, maintenance, safety, crew, scheduling, and accounting; customized to meet owners' travel and financial requirements; includes supplemental revenue generation through charter services.
- Private Jet Charter On-demand private jet charter services offering personalized travel solutions across light, mid-size, super mid-size, heavy, and ultra long range aircraft categories, with access to thousands of airports worldwide.
- Altitude 25 Charter Membership Subscription-based 25-hour charter membership program with all-inclusive pricing (excluding catering, ground transportation, de-icing, and hangar fees), guaranteed availability on the Solairus Managed Charter Fleet, no black-out dates, and access to the Worldwide Charter Network.
- Light Jet and Turboprop Management Program Specialized aircraft management program for light jets and turboprops, leveraging codified best practices to deliver tailored services for owners of these aircraft categories.
- Aviation Consulting and Support Services Aviation consulting and support services for aircraft owners, addressing specialized operational and management needs.
- Solairus Charter Flight Booking App Mobile application enabling private charter jet booking with in-app chat, flight sharing, special request handling, push notifications, email and call buttons, instant live chat with staff, and profile management for routes, passengers, and payment info.
- Aircraft Management Mobile App Mobile application for aircraft management clients to schedule, review, and track upcoming flights, and view financial reports (including monthly YTD fleet reports) generated from the Oracle-powered accounting portal.
Quantifiable outcome
- Record flights, fleet expansion and employee growth in 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Solairus Aviation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Solairus Aviation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Solairus Aviation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA)coreOfficial Partner across top-tier one-make racing series and high-performance track experiences. Demonstrates shared commitment to precision, performance, and excellence in motorsports and aviation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Solairus Aviation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NetJets: Berkshire Hathaway-owned fractional jet ownership, aircraft management, and on-demand charter provider. Directly comparable to Solairus across aircraft management and charter services, with a larger fleet and deeper capital base.
- Flexjet: Private aviation company offering fractional jet ownership, jet card, aircraft management, and charter. Competes head-to-head with Solairus in managed fleet services and premium charter, including large-cabin and ultra-long-range segments.
- Wheels Up: Private aviation membership and charter company offering flight solutions for individuals and corporate flight departments. Directly comparable to Solairus's Altitude 25 program and charter services.
- flyExclusive: Private jet operator offering fractional ownership, jet card, charter, and aircraft management — directly overlapping Solairus's full service stack with a similar mid-to-large fleet focus.
- VistaJet: Global business aviation company focused on on-demand private jet charter and membership programs. Comparable to Solairus in charter and membership offerings, with a stronger international footprint.
- Executive Jet Management: NetJets-affiliated aircraft management company managing private aircraft for owners. Direct competitor to Solairus's core aircraft management business.
- JetSuite (flyExclusive): Private jet charter operator now part of flyExclusive, offering on-demand charter across light to super-mid categories. Direct competitor to Solairus's charter business in the US market.
- PlaneSense: Fractional ownership and private aviation services provider focused on light and mid-size aircraft. Comparable to Solairus's light jet and turboprop management programs.
- PrivateFly: On-demand private jet charter broker and operator with global reach. Comparable to Solairus's charter business model, particularly for spot-market bookings.
Broad incumbents
- Jet Aviation: General Dynamics subsidiary offering aircraft management, charter, MRO, and FBO services globally. Overlaps Solairus's aircraft management and charter business but with a much broader portfolio and international presence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Solairus Aviation social profiles
Digital presenceSolairus Aviation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solairus Aviation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Solairus Aviation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solairus Aviation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solairus Aviation
What does Solairus Aviation do?
Solairus Aviation is a U.S.-based private aviation services company that primarily assists aircraft owners with the safe, reliable, and efficient management and operation of their aircraft. It also offers on-demand private jet charter services and the Altitude 25 membership charter program, operating a fleet of 355+ aircraft across 75+ U.S. base locations and supplementing capacity with a vetted worldwide charter network.
Is Solairus Aviation a public or private company?
Solairus Aviation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Solairus Aviation founded?
Solairus Aviation was founded in 2009. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Solairus Aviation based?
Solairus Aviation is headquartered in Petaluma, United States, in the North America region.
How does Solairus Aviation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Aircraft Management Services are the primary driver. The others are private Jet Charter, altitude 25 Charter Membership and aviation Support Services.
Who are Solairus Aviation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NetJets, Flexjet, Wheels Up, flyExclusive, VistaJet, Executive Jet Management, JetSuite (flyExclusive), PlaneSense and PrivateFly. Jet Aviation is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Solairus Aviation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solairus Aviation.
What industry is Solairus Aviation in?
Solairus Aviation's product category is Private Aviation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAFAA, Business Jet Charter (On-Demand), with a secondary code of TLAFABAB, Private Jet Charter (Midsize/Super-Midsize/Heavy Jet). Its NAICS code is 481211 and its SIC code is 4522.