Leviate Air Group acquires Chairman Aviation, adds ex-Volato tails

Leviate Air Group has acquired a 60% stake in Chairman Aviation and, at the same time, added five HondaJets that were previously leased to Volato.

Both companies are based in Dallas.

Chairman is owned by former American Airlines CEO Tom Horton.

The move comes as Leviate plans to double its managed fleet by acquiring additional operators.

Chairman Aviation brings a Citation X, Citation X+, and Citation CJ3+.

CEO Luis Barros says that while gaining management of the HondaJets was opportunistic, future deals will focus on expanding its super-midsize and large cabin fleet.

By the end of the year, Leviate will have 13 aircraft on its charter certificate.

Leviate’s business includes aircraft sales and charter brokerage.

That part of the business will do about 40 transactions this year.

Barros says the company expects to book around $35 million in retail charters in 2024.

It offers a jet card; however, jet card sales make up only about 5% of that retail business, and most customers book charter flights ad hoc.

Barros said additional operators it acquires will eventually transition to the Leviate brand.

They will continue to operate under their existing certificates.

He expects one to two more acquisitions in the next 12 to 18 months.

Since Leviate’s approach is focused on based-managed aircraft, he says utilizing multiple certificates is not an issue.

There are no plans to own or lease aircraft.

The company focuses on aircraft owners who want to drive charter revenues by making their aircraft available.

Barros said about the Chairman deal, “Their stellar reputation in private aviation aligns perfectly with our core values of excellence and integrity. Adding these premium aircraft enhances our combined fleet and allows us to provide even more tailored solutions to our clients, whether for business, leisure, or specialized travel needs.”