FLYING Magazine
San Francisco Bay Area-based Solairus Aviation could see more than 500 jets under its control after agreeing to purchase the management and charter units of Clay Lacy Aviation.
On Friday, Solairus formally announced the agreement and said the added scale would help manage costs, improve pricing, and expand access for customers. The company predicted negotiations would be finalized by the end of next month, until which time the firms will continue operating separately.
Solairus CEO and founder Dan Drohan said the move “solidifies [Solairus’] position as the leading pure-play aircraft management company in the world.”
“Together, we will be better equipped to enhance the client experience while maintaining the high-touch, personalized management services that have been the hallmark of Solairus and Clay Lacy,” Drohan said.
Brian Kirkdoffer, chair of Clay Lacy, said in a statement that the company will “continue forward as a focused aviation infrastructure platform built around FBOs, aviation real estate, and aircraft maintenance.”
“This transaction will enable us to implement a more focused strategy,” Kirkdoffer said. “These businesses remain strong, important, and full of opportunity. They are central to the next chapter of Clay Lacy, and we are excited about their potential.”
Solairus declined to disclose the value of the deal, which Corporate Jet Investor was first to report Thursday.
The deal does not include Clay Lacy’s FBO, maintenance, or real estate divisions. An unnamed industry executive told Forbes, though, that a sale of the FBO business could be next as scarce airport space limits the ability of operators to build new facilities.
Jamie Walker, executive chairman of Jet Linx, told Forbes the transaction could precede other deals in the space.
What They’re Getting
Solairus per its website manages more than 355 aircraft. It is estimated to have the world’s largest managed fleet of private jets.
Clay Lacy according to its website manages 160 aircraft, meaning that Solairus could be the first company with a managed fleet larger than 500 aircraft if the deal goes through. Neither Solairus nor Clay Lacy owns the aircraft it uses for Part 135 charter operations.
According to Forbes, NetJets is the world’s largest private jet operator, with over 1,100 aircraft in its fractional fleet and managed fleet under Executive Jet Management.
“This has little to do with size—Solairus already manages the largest fleet of managed aircraft in the United States,” Drohan wrote in an email to customers, according to Corporate Jet Investor. “What matters is that this brings together two like-minded companies built on a passion for personalized service and the most forward-thinking support systems in the industry.
“Neither company has been successful because of airplanes,” Drohan added. “We’ve been successful because of people, relationships, trust and personalized service.”
Craig Ross, founder and CEO of Aviation Portfolio, told Forbes that the “core relationships” of the company’s Clay Lacy customers “will remain intact.”
The proposed deal is the latest in a string of mergers and acquisitions in private aviation, with AirSprint, FlyExclusive, Bond, SC Aviation, FlyHouse, and others all part of deals in 2026.
Solairus was founded in 2009 and acquired in 2022 by private equity firm Ancient Management LP.
National Aviation Hall of Fame aviator Clay Lacy founded the company of the same name in 1968, establishing one of the first executive jet charter companies in the Western U.S.
Private Jet Card Comparisons, citing FAA data, said Solairus has 144 aircraft on its charter certificate and Clay Lacy has 51, meaning their combined charter fleet would number nearly 200 aircraft.
Based on Aviation Research Group U.S. (ARGUS) data on charter and fractional flight hours, which does not include managed aircraft operations under Part 91, Forbes reported that Solairus in 2025 ranked as the seventh-largest operator, while Clay Lacy landed at 17th. Combined, their flight hours would rank sixth.
In addition to chartering aircraft owned by their customers, both companies have jet card programs.
Solairus’ managed fleet includes large-cabin jets such as the Gulfstream G650, G-IV, and Bombardier Global Express; mid-size models such as the Hawker 900XP and Dassault Falcon 50EX; light jets including the Hawker 400XP and Cessna Citation CJ3; and turboprops including the Beechcraft King Air 350.
Clay Lacy’s ultra-long-range aircraft include models from Gulfstream and the Bombardier Global family, as well as the Falcon 7X. Large-cabin jets include the Falcon 900EX and GIV-SP. It also manages super-mid and mid-size jets such as the Bombardier Challenger and Falcon 2000 series, Cessna Citation X and Sovereign, and Hawker 850XP.
According to its website, Solairus has more than 75 U.S. base locations, while Clay Lacy has 37 home base airports.