June 12, 2025
Vital Farms Founder Matt O’Hayer, a serial entrepreneur, is jumping into private aviation, buying ATI Jet and Jetvia.
Entrepreneur Matt O’Hayer, who founded Vital Farms, has acquired Top 20 charter and fractional operator ATI Jet and its consumer arm, Jetvia, officials have confirmed to Private Jet Card Comparisons.
A formal announcement of the acquisition is expected within the next few days.
O’Hayer will become CEO.
Founder and longtime CEO Lyle Byrum will transition to the role of president.
Byrum, a recipient of the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, will focus on engineering innovation and growth opportunities.
Nick Tyson, VP of Operations, who joined ATI in 2019, has been appointed Executive Vice President.
ATI Jet moved to the 18th spot among U.S. fractional and charter operators last year, powered by an 11.6% increase in flight hours over 2023.
It currently has 23 Learjet 60 midsize jets available for charter.
O’Hayer is a serial entrepreneur, best known for his success in founding Vital Farms.
O’Hayer was named Vital Farms Executive Chairman in April 2019.
From September 2007 to April 2019, he served as the Chief Executive Officer.
In 2023, Hayer told CNBC that business success came after he stopped “trying to get rich” and started a company he believed in — one with a “deeper purpose.”
Vital Farms reported net revenue of $606.3 million in its 2024 financial year, up 28.5% year-over-year.
In February, it forecast $740 million in net revenue for 2025 with $100 million in Adjusted EBITDA.
It is on track to reach $1 billion in net revenue in 2027.
Net Income for 2024 grew 108.8% to $53.4 million, compared to $25.6 million in the prior year.
O’Hayer is also the founder and has served as the president of the Organic Egg Farmers of America.
Vital Farms describes its credo as:
Our mission is to bring ethical food to the table. We do everything we can to improve the lives of people, animals, and the planet through food. Whether it’s giving the girls outdoor access, supporting family farmers, enabling you to trace your eggs back to the farm, or setting the record straight in the egg aisle, you can always trust that Vital Farms is Keeping it Bullsh*t-Free. Our eggs and butter from family farms are delicious, ethical food you don’t have to question.’
ATI was founded in 1985.
In 2023, it launched a national jet card program.
Last year, it restarted its pre-owned fractional ownership program.
It launched a jet card targeting frequent travelers to Los Cabos, Mexico, while also rebranding under the Jetvia label.
Byrum said at the time, “The Jetvia name will represent our retail operations, fractional ownership, and jet cards, aiming to provide luxury private jet accommodations and grow into the largest midsize jet fractional and jet card provider in the U.S.”
Byrum says of the selling, “Jetvia has always been about more than aircraft—it’s about people and the culture of excellence we’ve built together.”
He adds, “Matt’s passion for aviation and proven track record of scaling mission-driven businesses make him the ideal partner to take Jetvia to new heights.”
Tyson tells Private Jet Card Comparisons, “We are entering a new era for Jetvia.”
He continues, “Our goal is to strengthen our core values and deliver even greater reliability and innovation to our clients.”
Tyson says, “With Matt’s strategic insight, Lyle’s engineering expertise, and the dedication of our entire team, now operating the world’s largest Learjet 60 fleet, we will continue to set the benchmark for private aviation.”
Tyson says under O’Hayer, the company plans on “using private aviation as a force for good—donating flights for individuals facing urgent medical needs, including the immunocompromised, and supporting missions that serve the greater public.”
The ATI/Jetvia deal indicates a resurgence in M&A and funding activity in the market.
Last year, fourth-ranked Wheels Up purchased Top 30 operator GrandView Aviation.
VistaJet and XO, the parent of third-ranked Vista Global and second-ranked Flexjet, both closed large funding deals.
Eighth-ranked Airshare gained a new majority owner via private equity following its 2023 acquisition of Wheels Up’s aircraft management division.
FlyExclusive has a pending deal to acquire the charter operations of Jet AI.
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