What KASI Aviation does

KASI Aviation Services Inc is a Montreal-based (Dorval, Quebec) airborne survey flight operations specialist founded in 2008 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hexagon Geosystems since 2022. The company provides worldwide, full-flight special missions flight planning and operations to geospatial, geophysical, and bathymetric survey companies, carrying an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) covering the Americas, Europe and Africa. KASI operates a fleet of seven modified aircraft — six Piper PA-31 type aircraft (three Navajos and three Chieftains) plus one Britten-Norman BN2T-4S turbine added in 2025 — configured for survey modalities including LiDAR, bathymetric LiDAR, gravity, magnetometer, spectrometer, VFL-EM, hyperspectral imaging, and aerial photography.

The company's core technical assets are its proprietary aircraft modifications, which include a 21" x 28" large format camera port (sSTC Q-LSA22-020/D), a heater exhaust extension that routes combustion gases over the wing root (Canadian STC SA24-24 and USA STC SA00225IB), and magnetic-noise reduction modifications that meet Geological Survey of Canada standards for geophysical survey work. Beyond flight services, KASI offers aircraft design and certification services, equipment installation assistance, and sensor rental/acquisition facilitation. Its revenue model is project-based professional services with quote-driven pricing tied to aircraft type, mission profile, duration, and geography, supplemented by STC licensing and technical support revenue.

KASI serves enterprise customers across the geospatial technology, remote sensing, lidar, airborne imaging, and geophysics sectors, including named relationships with Hexagon (parent), Itres, NV5, OpTech, Airborne Imaging, and Geophysics GPR International. The company employs 11-50 staff led by President Mark Kalus (40+ years aviation experience), Operations Manager Umer Farooq, Chief Pilot Mackenzie Cowan, and Director of Maintenance Hugo Meloche, with operations supported from a Montreal head office and a Saint-Hubert maintenance hangar.

Name

KASI Aviation

Legal name

KASI Aviation Services Inc

Website

https://kasiaviation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KASI Aviation is a Montreal-based airborne survey flight operations specialist providing worldwide LiDAR, bathymetric, geophysical, and hyperspectral survey missions to geospatial companies using a modified Piper PA-31 and BN2T-4S fleet, operating as a Hexagon Geosystems subsidiary since 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airborne Survey Flight Operations

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Aircraft Management & Part 135/135-equivalent Operators (THABAFAD)

Keywords

• Airborne survey operations
• Aerial mapping services
• Flight operations specialists
• Lidar survey operations
• Aircraft modification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dorval

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Airborne Survey Flight Operations: KASI provides worldwide full flight special missions flight planning and operations to companies conducting comprehensive airborne surveys. Services include gravity survey, low level survey, LiDAR, Bathymetric LiDAR, photography, magnetometer, spectrometer, gravity meter, VFL-EM meter, and hyperspectral survey operations.
2. Aircraft Modification and Certification Services: Design and certification services for Canadian aircraft modifications including structures, equipment and flammability. STC certifications for survey-specific aircraft modifications.
3. Technical Support and Equipment Installation: Staff assistance with equipment installation, testing from start to finish, and sensor rental/acquisition facilitation for survey projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KASI Aviation provides worldwide full flight special missions flight planning and operations for companies conducting comprehensive airborne surveys. The company operates a fleet of modified Piper PA-31 aircraft (Navajos and Chieftains) and a Britten-Norman BN2T-4S turbine aircraft, supporting survey modalities including LiDAR, Bathymetric LiDAR, magnetometer, spectrometer, gravity meter, hyperspectral, and VFL-EM survey operations. KASI also provides aircraft modification design and certification services, staff assistance with equipment installation, and sensor rental/acquisition facilitation for survey projects.

Product overview

KASI Aviation offers airborne survey and special missions flight operations as a unified service offering. The company operates a fleet of 6 Piper PA-31 type aircraft (3 Navajos and 3 Chieftains) plus a Britten-Norman BN2T-4S turbine aircraft, all modified for survey work. Survey operations encompass multiple modalities including LiDAR, Bathymetric LiDAR, Magnetometer, Spectrometer, Gravity Meter, VFL-EM Meter, and Hyperspectral imaging. The fleet is supported by specialized aircraft modifications including Large Format Camera Port and Heater Exhaust Extension for PA-31-350 aircraft, plus aircraft design and certification services. The company provides end-to-end flight support including pilot services, mechanics, and equipment installation assistance from start to finish.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Piper PA-31 Navajo Aircraft Flight Services Airborne survey services using Piper PA-31 Navajo twin-engine aircraft, providing a reliable, stable, and versatile platform for gravity, low level survey, LiDAR, Bathymetric LiDAR, and photography missions. Targeted at airborne survey companies requiring specialized flight operations.
• Piper PA-31 Chieftain Aircraft Flight Services Airborne survey services using Piper PA-31 Chieftain twin-engine aircraft, offering enhanced payload capacity and endurance for comprehensive geospatial and geophysical survey projects. Targeted at survey companies needing extended mission capabilities.
• Britten-Norman BN2T-4S Turbine Aircraft Flight Services Extended operations over water or remote areas using Britten-Norman BN2T-4S twin turbine aircraft, providing unparalleled safety, reliability, and up to 10 hours endurance for long-duration survey missions. Targeted at survey companies operating in remote geographies or over water.
• LiDAR Survey Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• Aircraft meet Geological Survey of Canada magnetic noise standards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EON Geosciences: EON Geosciences is a Canadian airborne geophysical survey company offering magnetic, radiometric and electromagnetic surveys with in-house aircraft operations. Comparable to KASI in service scope and operator model.
• Bell Geospace: Bell Geospace operates a modified Basler BT-67 aircraft to deliver airborne gravity gradiometry and geophysical surveys worldwide. It competes with KASI for the same mineral-exploration and geophysical charter contracts.
• SkyTEM Surveys: SkyTEM is a Danish airborne geophysical surveying company that operates its own helicopter and fixed-wing platforms for EM and magnetics surveys. The business model of providing turnkey flight operations to exploration clients closely parallels KASI's airborne survey charter services.
• Xcalibur Multiphysics: Xcalibur Multiphysics provides airborne geophysical survey services (gravity, magnetics, radiometrics, EM) globally with its own fixed-wing fleet. Direct competitor to KASI's airborne geophysical flight services offering.
• Sander Geophysics Limited: Sander Geophysics is a Canadian airborne geophysical survey operator that runs its own fixed-wing survey fleet for gravity, magnetic and electromagnetic surveys. Like KASI, it offers worldwide special-mission flight operations directly to mining and exploration clients.
• TerraQuest Airborne Surveys: TerraQuest is a Canadian airborne survey company offering high-resolution magnetic, radiometric and LiDAR surveys with its own turbine aircraft. Competes with KASI for Canadian and international survey contracts.
• Photo Flight Inc. Photo Flight operates a fleet of Piper Navajo and Cheyenne aircraft modified with aerial photography and LiDAR ports, providing flight services to aerial survey clients. Directly comparable platform and mission profile to KASI's PA-31 fleet.

Broad incumbents

• NV5 Geospatial: NV5 is a geospatial and engineering services provider that both charters KASI's aircraft and operates its own LiDAR capacity. It overlaps on customer base and end-market, and its in-house flight capability represents adjacent competitive supply.
• Woolpert: Woolpert is a US-based architecture, engineering and geospatial firm that operates its own aerial survey aircraft for LiDAR and photogrammetry. Comparable end-client offering to KASI but as a slice of a large professional-services business.
• Fugro: Fugro is a global geo-data specialist with a substantial airborne LiDAR and mapping division operating its own survey aircraft. Competes with KASI on large aerial mapping tenders but as part of a much broader site-investigation portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kasiaviation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kasiaviation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 KASI Aviation