Solairus Acquisition Will See Them Manage 500 Jets

Solairus Aviation is set to acquire Clay Lacy Aviation’s aircraft management and charter divisions in a deal expected to close by September.

The combination would bring roughly 500 managed aircraft under one company. Clay Lacy will retain its FBO, maintenance and real estate operations.

Solairus, founded by Dan Drohan in 2009, currently manages about 360 aircraft, while Clay Lacy manages approximately 160. The combination would make Solairus the first aircraft management company to surpass 500 managed aircraft, placing it at a notable scale within business aviation. Clay Lacy’s current fleet includes aircraft ranging from light jets to ultra-long-range Gulfstreams, Globals and BBJs.

For Solairus, however, the significance extends beyond the fleet count. “This has little to do with size,” Drohan said, emphasizing that the companies share a focus on personalized service, relationships and trust.

Clay Lacy, founded in 1968 by aviation pioneer Hershel Clay Lacy, has grown into a major business aviation provider under owner and chairman Brian Kirkdoffer. The company will continue operating its FBO and maintenance businesses following the transaction.

The deal reshapes the aircraft management landscape while preserving the identities and capabilities that built both companies. With hundreds of aircraft and owners now connected through one organization, the next chapter of private aviation management may be defined not simply by fleet size, but by how effectively that scale can serve the people behind every airplane.