Partners In Aviation
Partners In Aviation is a private Chicago-area firm that matches two aircraft owners to share one private jet at half the cost of sole ownership, serving high-net-worth individuals and small enterprises flying 50-150 hours annually through its proprietary PIA Managed Co-Ownership program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSaint Charles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Partners In Aviation does
Partners In Aviation (PIA) is a privately held managed aircraft co-ownership services firm founded in September 2016 by Mark Molloy, a former 34-year Beechcraft executive, and aviation marketer Tom Bertels (who departed in 2019). The company, headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, and structured as Partners in Aviation, LLC, operates a single unified program called PIA Managed Co-Ownership that matches exactly two qualified aircraft owners to share one aircraft, targeting private aviation users flying 50-150 hours annually who have outgrown jet card or fractional programs but cannot justify sole ownership economics.
The company's core technology is a proprietary matching and legal framework rather than software. It maintains what it describes as the world's largest database of vetted co-owner candidates across all U.S. states and aircraft categories (turboprop through heavy jet), and pairs matched owners with a proprietary co-ownership agreement suite developed over nearly two years with aviation-focused law firm Cooling & Herbers and tax advisor Aviation Tax Consultants. The legal documentation covers scheduling, cost allocation, exit provisions, and tax/title autonomy; a proprietary biweekly scheduling model provides each co-owner approximately 25 days of aircraft access per month. PIA also offers a variant product called Coupled Approach for higher-end piston aircraft and coordinates with aircraft management firms (Jet Aviation, Aviation Advisor, L.J. Aviation) for operational execution.
PIA operates an enterprise field sales motion centered on personalized consultations and Cost Pro Forma analysis, with revenue derived entirely from one-time success fees (comparable to $75,000-$125,000 standard brokerage fees) charged upon successful match and closing. The company has no recurring revenue stream, no external institutional funding, and is founder-controlled. Through 2024, PIA reported a record 15 co-ownership agreements in a single year, spanning 14 states plus Washington D.C., with an 80% match success rate and average time-to-match reduced to approximately two months.
Partners In Aviation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Partners In Aviation
- Legal name
- Partners in Aviation, LLC
- Website
- https://partnersinaviation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Partners In Aviation is a private Chicago-area firm that matches two aircraft owners to share one private jet at half the cost of sole ownership, serving high-net-worth individuals and small enterprises flying 50-150 hours annually through its proprietary PIA Managed Co-Ownership program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Partners In Aviation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Aviation Co-Ownership Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter Flight Brokers & Air Charter Ticketing Agents (THAKALAK)
Keywords
Where Partners In Aviation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Charles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Partners In Aviation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- One-Time Success Fee: PIA charges a one-time flat success fee upon successful match and closing. A 6-month engagement requires a small refundable fee in advance (less marketing costs). The balance is due at closing. No recurring fees after engagement concludes. No finder fees from other service providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | One-time success fee for co-ownership match |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Partners In Aviation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Partners In Aviation provides a managed aircraft co-ownership matching service that pairs exactly two qualified owners with a single aircraft at half the cost of sole ownership. The offering includes co-owner identification and vetting from a nationwide candidate database, mission analysis and aircraft acquisition assistance, a proprietary legal documentation suite that preserves tax and title autonomy for each owner, and coordination with aircraft management partners to deliver biweekly scheduling with 25+ days of aircraft access per owner per month.
Product overview
Partners In Aviation operates a single unified program called PIA Managed Co-Ownership, which matches two owners to share one aircraft at half the cost of sole ownership. The core service includes co-owner matching, proprietary legal documentation, aircraft acquisition assistance, and aircraft management coordination. Additionally, the company offers a separate product called Coupled Approach for higher-end piston aircraft. All offerings are service-based rather than software products, delivered through consultation and structured legal frameworks designed by aviation industry experts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PIA Managed Co-Ownership: The company's primary program that matches two qualified aircraft owners to share one aircraft, providing legal structure, aircraft matching, and co-owner vetting services to enable access comparable to sole ownership at half the cost.
Products and services
- PIA Managed Co-Ownership
- Coupled Approach
Quantifiable outcome
- Capital and fixed costs reduced by 50%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Partners In Aviation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Partners In Aviation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Partners In Aviation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Jet AviationcoreGlobal aircraft services company (a General Dynamics Company) providing preferred aircraft management services for PIA co-ownership clients. Jet Aviation handles scheduling, crewing, maintenance coordination, and operational oversight for co-owned aircraft.
- JSSI (Jet Support Services, Inc.)coreGlobal hourly-cost maintenance provider recommended by PIA for co-owned aircraft engine and parts programs to manage maintenance costs predictably.
- Aviation Tax Consultants, LLCcoreBusiness aviation tax consulting firm that works with PIA to ensure co-owners maintain tax and title autonomy. Each co-owner can structure financing, depreciation, and tax treatment independently without affecting the other owner's positions.
- Cooling & HerberscoreAviation-focused law firm that developed PIA's proprietary co-ownership agreement suite. Managing Director James Cooling serves on PIA's advisory board and provides ongoing legal counsel for co-ownership documentation.
- Aviation Advisor, Inc.supportingRegional aircraft and crew management company providing management services for PIA co-ownership arrangements, particularly for owners in specific geographic regions.
- Guardian JetsupportingBusiness-aviation asset management firm providing aircraft valuation and asset management expertise for PIA co-ownership transactions and ongoing aircraft oversight.
- L.J. AviationsupportingRegional aircraft and crew management company offering management services for PIA co-ownership arrangements in specific markets.
- NBAA (National Business Aviation Association)supportingIndustry association membership demonstrating commitment to business aviation standards and industry participation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Partners In Aviation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wheels Up: Membership-based private aviation company offering flight solutions across charter, fractional, and whole-aircraft management. Competes for HNW private aviation customers considering PIA, though with a fundamentally different asset and membership model.
- NetJets: Berkshire Hathaway-owned pioneer of fractional jet ownership and the dominant incumbent in shared aircraft access. Competes with PIA for the same mid-to-high utilization customer, but offers a fully managed, asset-heavy model rather than co-ownership matching.
- Flexjet: Major fractional jet ownership and leasing provider offering share-based access to a fleet of business jets. Targets a similar HNW customer seeking ownership-like access without sole ownership, positioning PIA as a complement or alternative at the lower-utilization end.
- VistaJet: Global private aviation company operating a fleet of business jets sold via a Program and membership model. Comparable to PIA at the high end of the HNW customer base, though VistaJet owns/operates aircraft rather than matching co-owners.
Others
- Guardian Jet: Aircraft brokerage, valuation, and asset management firm and PIA supporting partner. Comparable as a transaction-oriented intermediary in business aviation that touches the same buyer/seller population PIA serves.
- Jet Aviation: General Dynamics-owned global aircraft services company and PIA's core operational partner for management, crewing, and maintenance. Comparable because it serves the same HNW aircraft owner customer set and could plausibly extend into co-ownership matching as a natural adjacency.
- Solairus Aviation: National aircraft management and charter services company serving HNW and corporate owners. Comparable as an enabling partner in the same shared-ownership ecosystem, with potential to launch competing co-ownership matching given its owner-client base.
Direct peers
- PrivateFly: Global private jet charter broker and booking platform arranging on-demand flights. Comparable in the brokerage/matchmaking function it performs in private aviation, though focused on ad-hoc charter rather than aircraft co-ownership.
- Airshare: Fractional aircraft ownership and charter program offering shared access to Embraer Phenom and other business jets. The closest direct comp to PIA's shared-ownership value prop, though run as a managed fleet rather than owner-to-owner matching.
- PlaneSense: Fractional program operated by Direct Aviation offering share-based ownership in Pilatus PC-12 turboprops and PC-24 jets. Directly comparable in offering shared aircraft ownership to HNW customers flying similar annual hours, though with proprietary fleet assets rather than co-owner matching.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Partners In Aviation social profiles
Digital presencePartners In Aviation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Partners In Aviation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Partners In Aviation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Partners In 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 Partners In Aviation
What does Partners In Aviation do?
Partners In Aviation provides a managed aircraft co-ownership matching service that pairs exactly two qualified owners with a single aircraft at half the cost of sole ownership. The offering includes co-owner identification and vetting from a nationwide candidate database, mission analysis and aircraft acquisition assistance, a proprietary legal documentation suite that preserves tax and title autonomy for each owner, and coordination with aircraft management partners to deliver biweekly scheduling with 25+ days of aircraft access per owner per month.
Is Partners In Aviation a public or private company?
Partners In Aviation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Partners In Aviation founded?
Partners In Aviation was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Partners In Aviation based?
Partners In Aviation is headquartered in Saint Charles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Partners In Aviation make money?
One revenue line is on record: one-Time Success Fee.
Who are Partners In Aviation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Wheels Up, NetJets, Flexjet and VistaJet. Others are Guardian Jet, Jet Aviation and Solairus Aviation. Direct peers are PrivateFly, Airshare and PlaneSense.
Does Partners In Aviation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Partners In Aviation.
What industry is Partners In Aviation in?
Partners In Aviation's product category is Private Aviation Co-Ownership Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKALAK, Charter Flight Brokers & Air Charter Ticketing Agents. Its NAICS code is 481211 and its SIC code is 4522.