Solairus deal to buy Clay Lacy charter business pushes fleet above 500 aircraft

Solairus Aviation has agreed to acquire Clay Lacy Aviation’s aircraft management and charter businesses in a deal that will create a managed fleet of more than 500 private aircraft.

Solairus currently manages about 360 aircraft from more than 100 bases across North America, while the Clay Lacy businesses included in the deal manage about 140 aircraft.

The acquisition would make Solairus the world’s largest aircraft management company by fleet size, according to the companies.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close at the end of September 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Clay Lacy Aviation’s FBO, aircraft maintenance and aviation real estate businesses are not part of the sale. Those operations will remain under the Clay Lacy name and current ownership.

“With this transaction, Solairus solidifies its position as the leading pure-play aircraft management company in the world,” Solairus founder and CEO Dan Drohan said.

Clay Lacy Aviation Chairman Brian Kirkdoffer said the sale will allow the company to focus on its remaining businesses.

Legendary pilot and entrepreneur Clay Lacy founded the company at Van Nuys Airport in California in 1968, establishing what became the first jet charter company west of the Mississippi. The business initially operated Learjets and became closely associated with Hollywood celebrities and business executives.

Lacy, now 93, remains one of the most accomplished pilots in US aviation history. He joined United Airlines at age 19, became an early Learjet demonstration pilot and salesman and went on to set numerous aviation records.

He also became a pioneering aerial cinematographer, using a specially equipped Learjet and the Astrovision camera system to film aircraft for movies including “Top Gun” and “The Right Stuff.”

In 1988, Lacy flew a Boeing 747SP around the world in 36 hours and 54 minutes as part of the Friendship One record flight. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010.

Kirkdoffer, who began working for Clay Lacy Aviation as a Learjet pilot in 1990, became company president in 2003 and acquired the business from Lacy in 2012.

The company has grown significantly since then. Its website currently lists 160 managed jets representing about $3.5 billion in aircraft. Clay Lacy also operates a charter fleet of more than 60 large-cabin business jets.

Solairus was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Petaluma, California. The company employs more than 1,200 flight crew and support personnel.

After the acquisition closes, Solairus will remain headquartered in Petaluma and will also maintain offices in Los Angeles and New York.

The two companies will continue operating independently until the transaction closes.The post Solairus deal to buy Clay Lacy charter business pushes fleet above 500 aircraft appeared first on AeroTime.

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