What Skyplan Services does

Skyplan Services Limited is a Calgary-based, privately held provider of international flight operations and trip-support services, founded in 1986 and operating across 196 countries through regional offices in Calgary, Dubai, and China. The company serves corporate/business aviation operators, small and mid-size airlines, and military customers with a portfolio that includes flight planning, contract dispatch, permits and slots, weather briefings, NOTAM management, flight following, aviation fuel procurement, and ground support coordination. Its core differentiator is Aurora, a proprietary web-based flight planning platform introduced in 1998 that integrates routing, weather from six independent sources, NOTAMs, runway analysis, RAIM prediction, and FMS uplinks, supported by a 30+ year historical wind database, 24,000+ airport navigation dataset, and performance data for 450+ aircraft types.

The business model combines professional services (licensed dispatcher dispatch on a per-flight basis), subscription software (Aurora online flight planning monthly/yearly packages and multi-year enterprise licensing), transaction-fee revenue from coordinating fuel procurement across 1,600+ contracted global locations, and project-based trip-support revenue from permits, slots, and ground handling. Go-to-market is sales-led, anchored by a 24/7 licensed dispatch team reachable via phone and web-based trip-planning request forms, supplemented by a product-led growth layer in the form of SkyTools (free web utilities for airport information, weather search, ICAO filing, and route validation) that funnels users into Aurora. The company is founder-controlled (President & CEO Muhammad Sami, with Adrian Bone referenced as founder) and operates with no disclosed external investors, PE/VC backing, or M&A history.

The platform's competitive moat rests on three decades of accumulated flight-planning data, regulatory relationships, and licensed-dispatcher expertise, with Aurora licensing enabling Skyplan to embed inside customer-owned dispatch centers. Customer concentration is moderate, anchored on diversified SMB-to-enterprise demand across three primary segments (corporate aviation, airlines, military), with no public enterprise logos beyond a single testimonial reference (VIH Aviation Group). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and no revenue figures have been released.

Name

Skyplan Services

Legal name

Skyplan Services Limited

Website

https://skyplan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Skyplan Services is a Calgary-based aviation services company founded in 1986 that delivers flight planning, dispatch, permits, fuel procurement, and ground support to corporate operators, airlines, and military customers across 196 countries via its proprietary Aurora platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Flight Operations Support

NAICS

Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Passenger Services Operations & Dispatch (Brokerages/Platforms) (TLAFACAL)

Keywords

• Flight planning services
• Aviation dispatch
• Trip support services
• Aviation fuel procurement
• Flight operations software

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flight Planning Services: Professional flight planning services delivered by licensed dispatchers, including custom flight plans optimized for time, fuel, weather, and route efficiency. Services available 24/7 for domestic and international flights.
2. Aviation Fuel Sales: Fuel procurement and coordination services through a network of over 1,600 contracted fuel locations worldwide. Skyplan shops globally to secure competitive fuel pricing for customers.
3. Contract Dispatch Services: Outsourced flight dispatch services for airlines and flight operators. Options include traditional ad-hoc dispatch and web-based Online Flight Planning Services with monthly/yearly subscription packages with unlimited flight plans.
4. Software Licensing (Aurora): Licensing of Aurora flight planning software for use in customer-owned flight dispatch centers. Web-based platform accessible without client software installation.
5. Permits and Slots: Assistance with obtaining overflight permits, landing permits, air traffic rights, slots, and crew visas for international flights.
6. Trip Planning and Ground Support: Comprehensive trip coordination including ground handling, concierge services, hotel arrangements, crew transportation, and customs assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Skyplan Services provides outsourced flight planning, licensed dispatch, international trip support, aviation fuel procurement, permits/slots coordination, weather/NOTAM briefings, and ground handling to airlines, corporate aviation operators, and military customers across 196 countries. Deliveries are powered by the proprietary Aurora web-based flight planning platform and the SkyTools pre-planning utility suite, combined with a 24/7 Transport-Canada-licensed dispatch team based in Calgary, Dubai, and China.

Product overview

Skyplan Services operates as a Fixed Base Operations network offering a portfolio of aviation services centered around its proprietary Aurora flight planning software platform. The core offering consists of Aurora (web-based flight planning system) complemented by SkyTools (quick-access planning tools), supported by an integrated suite of services including aviation fuel procurement (1,600+ locations), weather briefings, NOTAM management, flight dispatch services, international trip planning, airline dispatch, permits/slots coordination, and ground support. The architecture combines self-service software tools (Aurora, SkyTools) with managed services (licensed dispatcher teams, trip coordinators) for corporate, airline, and military aviation customers across 197 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aurora: Proprietary web-based flight planning system that integrates flight planning, Euro-Control routing, weather, route plotting, runway analysis, RAIM, and NOTAMs on a single platform.
• SkyTools

Products and services

• Aurora Flight Planning System Proprietary web-based flight planning software that builds, visualizes, files, and FMS-uplinks computer-optimized flight plans for 450+ aircraft types with integrated weather, NOTAMs, runway analysis, RAIM prediction, and Eurocontrol IFPS route validation; available via web browser on any device and licensed to in-house dispatch centers or used by Skyplan's licensed dispatch team.
• SkyTools Suite of free web-based pre-planning utilities covering Airport Information (8,700+ airports), Time & Distance Calculator, European IFPS Route Validation, Charter Costing Estimator, ICAO Flight Plan Generator, and Weather Search Tool (METARs/TAFs); used by pilots, dispatchers, and charter operators for ad-hoc planning tasks.
• Contract Flight Dispatch Services Outsourced licensed flight dispatch services delivering computer-generated flight plans, ATC filing, flight watch/following, aircraft situational data, and coordination across SITA, ARINC, and AFTN networks for airlines and corporate operators; available as ad-hoc per-flight plan or monthly/yearly subscription packages with unlimited flight plans.
• Airline Dispatch Services 24/7 outsourced dispatch services designed specifically for commercial airlines, covering in-house flight plans, weather data from six sources, ATC filings, overflight permits, and airport slot coordination; positioned for carriers that need to complement or replace an internal dispatch department.
• International Trip Planning End-to-end international trip coordination service handling permits, weather, flight following, EU route validation, contract fuel, ground support, security arrangements, airfield slots, and concierge services for cross-border corporate, charter, and airline operations.
• Aviation Fuel Services Worldwide aviation fuel procurement and coordination service offering contract Jet A1 pricing at 1,600+ contracted locations, with 24/7 multilingual dispatch for fuel quotes and order placement to optimize fuel costs for customer flight operations.
• Permits & Slots Service for obtaining overflight permits, landing permits, air traffic rights, airport slots, and crew visas across 197 countries, including PPRs, diplomatic clearances, and IATA-compliant slot assignments; particularly strong in restricted and difficult jurisdictions.
• Weather Briefing Services Weather data and briefing service aggregating six independent sources (including NOAA and UKMO models and direct in-house satellite feeds), delivering METARs, TAFs, significant weather advisories, wind charts, and icing forecasts with scheduled or on-demand briefing delivery.
• NOTAMs Submission Services NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) management service delivering international, domestic (Canadian ICAO and US FAA formats), FDC, runway condition, and GPS NOTAMs with customizable filtering, scheduling, and briefing delivery to flight crews.
• Flight Following & Flight Watch Continuous flight monitoring service tracking departure to arrival using advanced flight tracking software, radar surveillance, ADS broadcasts, and two-way communication; provides situational updates and diversion support to operators.
• Ground Support Services Global ground handling coordination covering inflight catering, fuel services, disembarkation, baggage handling, secure parking, cabin services, hotel accommodation, ground transport, and VIP concierge; delivered through Skyplan's worldwide handling partner network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced fuel costs through optimized flight routing and global fuel contract negotiations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Major Petroleum Companies (Unnamed)coreOthersSkyplan partners with major petroleum companies and fuel service providers globally to supply Jet A1 fuel at over 1,600 contracted locations worldwide. These partnerships enable competitive pricing and reliable fuel availability for customers operating at major airports and remote locations alike.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Jeppesen (a Boeing Company): Industry-standard flight planning, navigation data, and aeronautical charts provider serving commercial airlines, business aviation, and military. Overlaps Skyplan's flight planning and dispatch support offerings but operates at much larger scale as a Boeing subsidiary.
• Collins Aerospace: Aviation services and avionics provider (formerly Rockwell Collins/ARINC) offering dispatch, communications, and operational support that overlaps Skyplan's contract dispatch and trip support services. Operates at significantly larger scale as an RTX subsidiary.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Major aerospace OEM and software provider with flight planning, flight efficiency, and connected aircraft services (e.g., Honeywell Forge). Competes with Skyplan in flight planning and dispatch support but as part of a much broader avionics and services portfolio.

Emerging players

• FlightAware: Flight tracking and ADS-B data platform with growing flight planning capabilities and a strong API-first developer ecosystem. Competes with Skyplan in flight planning and tracking for business aviation with a more modern, integration-friendly architecture.

Direct peers

• Universal Weather and Aviation: Closest direct competitor: provides trip planning, flight planning, fuel, permits, ground support, and weather services to business aviation and airlines globally. Operates a similar full-stack model with 24/7 dispatch and broad international coverage.
• RocketRoute: Web and mobile flight planning, filing, and trip support platform with global coverage. Targets similar business aviation and charter customers with self-serve and managed-service tiers, overlapping Skyplan's Online Flight Planning and Aurora products.
• FlightBridge: Contract flight dispatch services provider for corporate aviation and charter operators, offering 24/7 licensed dispatcher support similar to Skyplan's outsourced dispatch offering. Closest pure-play competitor in the contract dispatch niche.
• ForeFlight: Leading flight planning and electronic flight bag (EFB) platform for business and general aviation pilots. Competes directly with Skyplan's Aurora on flight planning, weather, and NOTAM integration, with stronger modern UI and mobile-first design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/skyplanservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skyplan-services-ltd.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Skyplan Services