Leviate Jet Management (SBE) has announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in Chairman Aviation (CHR, Dallas Love Field), which it described as a strategic move in a expansion plan that aims to double the size of its managed fleet over the next 12 to 18 months through the acquisition of additional operators.
Chairman Aviation, which will continue to operate under its existing Part 135 certificate, contributes three aircraft to the combined fleet, a Citation Jet 3+, a Citation X, and a Citation X+, all of which will be integrated into Leviate’s management programme.
Looking ahead, Leviate plans to sustain its growth by acquiring one or two more operators over the next 18 months. These operators will retain their current certificates, although they will eventually transition to the Leviate brand. The company’s model focuses on based-managed aircraft, enabling operation under multiple certificates.
Leviate's Part 135-certified fleet includes two Bombardier Business Aircraft Challenger 300s, one Citation XLS, one Citation XLS+, and a newly added Embraer Executive Jets Phenom 300. By the end of 2024, the company expects to have 13 aircraft on its charter certificate.
The company recently told ch-aviation that it plans to add a Citation M2 Gen2 and five to six Honda Aircraft HA-420s. While the addition of the HondaJet aircraft was seen as an opportunistic move, future acquisitions will focus on expanding Leviate’s super-midsize and large-cabin fleet, according to Leviate’s CEO, Luis Barros.
Leviate partners with aircraft owners to generate revenue by offering their planes for charter. While the company offers a jet card, the majority of its revenue comes from retail charter bookings, primarily through ad-hoc services.
