April 18, 2024
Volato has acquired Houston Hobby Airport-based charter operator Gulf Coast Aviation. It’s the sixth announced M&A deal involving private jet brokers and operators in 2022.
Gulf Coast Aviation has five aircraft, including a King Air 360 and Hawker 750 available for charter. It holds Argus Platinum and IS-BAO Stage 3 ratings.
“We look forward to supporting the existing managed fleet and welcoming new aircraft owners to our fleet division,” said Matt Liotta, co-founder, and CEO of Volato.
“Having a base in Houston is important to the vision and growth of Volato as it’s the second busiest market for private aviation in the country, and we look forward to introducing our HondaJet fleet to GCA’s extensive loyal customer base,” said Nicholas Cooper, co-founder and CRO of Volato.
The fractional company, which launched last September, has existing bases in Atlanta, Baltimore, St. Augustine, Ft. Lauderdale, and Carlsbad.
Repositioning charges for shareowners are based on their bases. The program is focused on the HondaJet but recently added the Pilatus PC-24.
Owners offset costs via charter revenue sharing. The new bases mean expanded charter sales opportunities.
In January, Volato expanded its HondaJet order.
