AirFirst
AirFirst is a privately-held Little Rock, Arkansas aviation consulting firm offering aircraft appraisals, leasing, regulatory compliance, and 24/7 dispatching services to charter operators, oil and gas clients, and equestrian transport customers under FAA and DOT certifications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersLittle Rock, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AirFirst does
AirFirst, Inc. (AFI) is a privately-held aviation consulting and services firm founded in 1987 by Dan Jones and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The company operates two integrated service lines: (1) Appraisals, Consulting & Leasing, which provides aircraft procurement support, airworthiness and log book inspections, aircraft appraisal, flight training, leasing and ownership management, airport site surveys, and FAA FAR 125 & 135 certificate management; and (2) Aircraft Dispatching, delivered through an in-house 24/7/365 operations center that handles worldwide flight planning, international landing and overflight permits, weather/Notams, in-flight monitoring, fuel/handler coordination, hazmat transport, and operational control.
AirFirst derives revenue from professional services and managed services work for aviation operators and charter companies, supplemented by revenue from aircraft ownership and leasing (it has owned or leased over 50 aircraft ranging from Cessna 208 Caravans to wide-body DC-8s). Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, with outreach led personally by CEO/President Chris Jones. The company holds FAA Part 121 Air Carrier certification, DOT 401 Holder authority, and FAA FAR 91, 121, 125 & 135 certificates, plus a patent on a thoroughbred horse transport method.
The firm serves enterprise customers across aviation/charter, oil and gas, and equestrian transport verticals, with disclosed historical operations spanning every continent and over 220 countries and 58,000+ accumulated flight hours. The wholly-owned subsidiary International Charter Xpress has historically operated international charter services, including oilfield worker transport between Moscow and Siberia. Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed; the business is private with no external funding disclosed and remains under family leadership following the founder-to-son CEO transition.
AirFirst firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AirFirst
- Legal name
- AirFirst, Incorporated
- Website
- https://airfirstinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AirFirst is a privately-held Little Rock, Arkansas aviation consulting firm offering aircraft appraisals, leasing, regulatory compliance, and 24/7 dispatching services to charter operators, oil and gas clients, and equestrian transport customers under FAA and DOT certifications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AirFirst industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aviation Consulting & Flight Operations Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flight Operations Control & Dispatch (OCC/IOCC) (THABAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Air Cargo Charter Specialists (On-Demand) (TLADAAAE), In-Flight Operations Support (Cabin Logistics, Loading, Inventory) (THABAMAJ)
Keywords
Where AirFirst is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Little Rock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AirFirst business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Aviation Services and Consultancy: Revenue generated through comprehensive aviation support services including aircraft appraisals, consulting, leasing, ownership management, flight training, and dispatching services. Services are provided to domestic and international aviation operators.
- Aircraft Procurement and Leasing: Revenue from aircraft ownership and leasing operations, having owned and leased over 50 aircraft ranging from Cessna 208 Caravans to wide body DC-8s. Includes market research, airworthiness inspections, and log book inspection services.
- Regulatory Certificate Management: FAA FAR 125 & 135 certificate management and DOT 401 holder services for aviation operators requiring regulatory compliance oversight.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
AirFirst product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AirFirst provides aviation consulting, aircraft procurement/leasing support, and 24/7 flight dispatching services. Its offerings include market research, airworthiness and log book inspections, aircraft appraisal, flight training, aircraft ownership/leasing, airport site surveys, and FAA FAR 125 & 135 certificate management, delivered alongside a 24/7 365-days-a-year in-house operations center that handles worldwide flight planning, permits, weather/Notams, in-flight monitoring, operational control, fuel/handler coordination, hazmat transportation, and financial management for clients worldwide.
Product overview
AirFirst provides aviation support, service, and consultancy as a single unified offering rather than a modular platform. The company operates two primary service lines: Appraisals, Consulting & Leasing (covering aircraft procurement, inspection, appraisal, training, and regulatory certificate management) and Aircraft Dispatching (providing 24/7 operational support including flight planning, permits, monitoring, and logistics coordination). Both service lines operate together to deliver end-to-end aviation solutions, leveraging over 58,000 flight hours of operational experience and ownership/leasing of over 50 aircraft types.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Appraisals, Consulting & Leasing Aviation advisory services that help aircraft owners and operators procure, evaluate, lease, and manage aircraft. Includes market research and availability, airworthiness inspections, log book inspections, aircraft appraisal, flight training, aircraft ownership/leasing, airport site surveys, and FAA FAR 125 & 135 certificate management. Targeted at businesses and individuals acquiring or operating aircraft.
- Aircraft Dispatching Round-the-clock aircraft dispatch and flight operations support delivered from AirFirst's in-house operations center. Covers worldwide flight planning, international landing and overflight permits, weather and Notams, in-flight monitoring and operational control, fuel and handler coordination, in-country logistics, hazmat transportation, and financial management. Operates under DOT 401 Holder status and FAA FAR 91, 121, 125 & 135 certificates for aviation operators worldwide.
Quantifiable outcome
- 58,000+ flight hours operated globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use AirFirst
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
AirFirst technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
AirFirst partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- International Charter Xpress (AFI Company)coreA subsidiary company of AirFirst that was the first US carrier to operate between two domestic Russian cities using DC-8 combi aircraft, transporting oilfield workers and equipment between Moscow, Russia and Sergut, Siberia.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
AirFirst competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Avfuel Corporation: Avfuel supplies aviation fuel, into-plane services, and logistics support to business aviation, charter, and cargo operators. It overlaps with AFI on the fuel/handler coordination and operational support side of the dispatch stack.
- Executive Jet Management: Executive Jet Management provides aircraft management, charter, and operational support to business aircraft owners. It is a direct peer to AFI's aircraft ownership/leasing and operational management services, and is part of the NetJets family of companies.
- Pentastar Aviation: Pentastar Aviation is a business aviation services company offering charter, aircraft management, FBO, and flight support services. It is a direct peer to AFI's combined aircraft management, charter, and operational support offering, though at a larger scale.
- Universal Weather and Aviation: Universal Weather and Aviation is one of the largest independent providers of trip planning, flight operations support, weather services, and international permits for business aviation. It is the closest direct peer to AFI's 24/7 dispatch and flight-planning operations center offering.
- AEG Fuels: AEG Fuels provides fuel supply, into-plane services, and fuel/handler coordination to commercial and charter operators worldwide. It is a direct peer to the fuel/handler coordination and in-country logistics support services that AFI bundles into its dispatch offering.
Emerging players
- FlightAware: FlightAware offers real-time flight tracking, flight planning, and operational decision support to airlines, charter operators, and business aviation. As a software-first platform, it represents the emerging, digital-first alternative to AFI's manual dispatch and in-flight monitoring services.
- Meridian Air Cargo / specialty live-animal carriers: Meridian Air Cargo and other specialty live-animal and equine transport operators overlap with AFI's patented thoroughbred horse transport service. They are emerging players in the niche cargo category that AFI has defended with its patent.
Broad incumbents
- Atlantic Aviation: Atlantic Aviation operates a nationwide FBO network providing fueling, ground handling, and line services to business and charter operators. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with AFI's airport site surveys, handler coordination, and operational support capabilities.
- Signature Flight Support: Signature Flight Support operates a global FBO and ground handling network for business aviation. It is a broad incumbent that competes with the ground services and handler coordination portions of AFI's dispatch service, with significantly larger global infrastructure.
- Jeppesen (a Boeing Company): Jeppesen provides flight planning, navigation charts, weather, and operational support services to commercial and business aviation operators globally. It is a broad incumbent that competes with AFI in the flight-planning/permits/operational-control stack, with much larger scale and OEM backing.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AirFirst social profiles
Digital presenceAirFirst compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
AirFirst financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AirFirst leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
AirFirst subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AirFirst funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AirFirst 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 AirFirst
What does AirFirst do?
AirFirst provides aviation consulting, aircraft procurement/leasing support, and 24/7 flight dispatching services. Its offerings include market research, airworthiness and log book inspections, aircraft appraisal, flight training, aircraft ownership/leasing, airport site surveys, and FAA FAR 125 & 135 certificate management, delivered alongside a 24/7 365-days-a-year in-house operations center that handles worldwide flight planning, permits, weather/Notams, in-flight monitoring, operational control, fuel/handler coordination, hazmat transportation, and financial management for clients worldwide.
Is AirFirst a public or private company?
AirFirst is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was AirFirst founded?
AirFirst was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AirFirst based?
AirFirst is headquartered in Little Rock, United States, in the North America region.
How does AirFirst make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Aviation Services and Consultancy is the primary driver. The others are aircraft Procurement and Leasing and regulatory Certificate Management.
Who are AirFirst's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Avfuel Corporation, Executive Jet Management, Pentastar Aviation, Universal Weather and Aviation and AEG Fuels. Emerging players are FlightAware and Meridian Air Cargo / specialty live-animal carriers. Broad incumbents are Atlantic Aviation, Signature Flight Support and Jeppesen (a Boeing Company).
Does AirFirst have an API?
No public API is recorded for AirFirst.
What industry is AirFirst in?
AirFirst's product category is Aviation Consulting & Flight Operations Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAIAA, Flight Operations Control & Dispatch (OCC/IOCC), with a secondary code of TLADAAAE, Air Cargo Charter Specialists (On-Demand). Its NAICS code is 4881 and its SIC code is 4522.