solairus aviation blog

Solairus Chairman and CEO, Dan Drohan, is currently featured in the 2012 Fourth Quarter edition of the Aviation Business Journal, the official publication of the National Air Transportation Association. Speaking with Paul Seidenman and David J. Spanovich, Drohan explains Solairus' meteoric rise in the Private Jet industry as well as outlying his vision for the company's future:

In the hyper competitive world of on-demand charter and aircraft management, Solairus Aviation Chairman and CEO Dan Drohan makes it perfectly clear that he will not sacrifice quality for market share. “That’s the paradigm we are working very hard to avoid at Solairus Aviation,” he stated. So far, he has succeeded. Despite the formidable industry headwinds, Solairus Aviation has managed to generate an enviable rate of growth in little more than the three years since it was founded in May 2009 by Drohan and two partners. With between 250 and 300 full- and part-time employees, the Petaluma, California-based company now has a satellite office in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco International Airport, as well as sales and flight coordination offices in Houston, New York, Boca Raton, Seattle and Denver.

Continuing reading Dan Drohan's interview in the 2012 Fourth Quarter Aviation Business Journal by clicking here.

About Solairus Aviation:

Solairus is a full-service aviation asset management company that provides clients with expertise in acquiring and operating a wide range of private aircraft.

Solairus Aviation is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has over twenty-five base locations across the United States and Europe. Solairus is an Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-rated charter operator with a fleet of over 50 managed aircraft. After completion of an intense operations and safety systems audit, the ARG/US Platinum rating has only been awarded to 5% of the world’s charter operators that have demonstrated that their procedures meet or exceed industry “Best Practices” in all phases. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, visit www.solairusaviation.com or call 800-359-7861.

Solairus Aviation Chairman and CEO Dan Drohan knows exactly what fuels his company's success: its people

By Karen Brost
Flying High

Dan Drohan was lucky enough to have discovered his life's passion at a very young age. "I started flying when I was 12 or 13," he explains. Today, he is Chairman and CEO of Solairus Aviation, an aircraft management and private charter jet company headquartered in San Francisco with aircraft and regional offices nationwide. Solairus currently manages more than 50 aircraft but it all started with a single plane.

When Dan was in high school, he worked at an airport and earned his private pilot's license. He eventually went off to college, but his college career was short lived. "I came back in December of my freshman year for the break," he explains. "My mother wondered why there was a steamer trunk behind me. At that point, I had decided that aviation was where I wanted to be."

Within a year and a half, Dan started Sunset Aviation, a one-man operation that offered air tours over the San Francisco Bay and the wine country. He then eventually moved into the world of private jet charters. Over the next fifteen years, he grew the operation into a company with 100 employees and 25 planes. Then, unknown to him at the time, he was about to be in for a turbulent ride.

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Solairus Aviation is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has over twenty-five base locations across the United States and Europe. With a fleet of nearly 50 managed aircraft, Solairus is one of only 97 Aviation Research Group/US Platinum-rated charter operators in the world. After completion of an intense operations and safety systems audit, the ARG/US Platinum rating is awarded to those who have demonstrated that their procedures meet or exceed industry “Best Practices” in all phases. Solairus has also received the NBAA Commercial Business Flying Safety Award and is an IS-BAO certified company. Solairus offers a full range of services in addition to aircraft management and private jet charters, which includes aircraft charter sales, aviation support services, and consulting. For more information about Solairus Aviation, please visit www.solairusaviation.com or call 800-359-7861.

Greetings,

Last year, Solairus was chosen by Inspirato as the growing vacation club’s Private Jet Charter partner. Inspirato is a private club that combines five-star resort services with privileged access to a rapidly expanding portfolio of the most spectacular villas in the world. Over the past several months, many Inspirato members have experienced first-hand why Solairus’ name has become synonymous with service excellence in the private jet charter marketplace. We share Inspirato’s goal of creating Exceptional Experiences and we are proud of our continued affiliation with such a fine organization and the opportunity it has provided to demonstrate our commitment to the perfect luxury travel experience.

Working together, Solairus and Inspirato provide their mutual clients with a wide range of member benefits and special vacation promotions. Our latest offer, good until May 31, 2012, gives Solairus clients who join Inspirato ONE HOUR of complimentary flight time in ANY Solairus private charter jet for flights to/from Inspirato destinations. Additionally, when you join Inspirato by May 31, 2012, your first year's annual membership fees will be waived.

Thank you for your continued trust in Solairus as your private charter jet provider. We remain completely committed to your safety and total satisfaction with your experience with us. If we can be of any further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact our team directly at 800.359.7861

Thank you,

Dan Drohan
Chairman and CEO
Solairus Aviation

Solairus Aviation Chairman and CEO, Dan Drohan, was recently interviewed by Craig Hanson of SUCCESS Magazine about Solairus' inspiring beginnings, the inspiration Drohan receives from his staff, and where the aircraft management and private jet charter company is heading in the near future.

"Getting the new business off the ground began with the philosophy, “If we build it, they will come.” With the belief that the strength of relationships between private jet charter clients and employees is a key element to success, Drohan has a sticker on his letter opener tray reading, “Willingness without action is fantasy.”

The management and private charter jet industry is still well below pre-2007 levels, but Drohan has seen “a significant uptick in aircraft acquisitions in the last eight to 10 months. This allows for growth without having to take business from each other.”

In addition to strong client relationships, two other factors have helped Solairus thrive: the , the resurgence of “financial road shows.” Companies seeking money and support in anticipation of going public need to charter planes to make calls on potential investors; as the economy improves, they’re increasingly chartering Solairus planes to conduct these intense, fast-paced “road shows.”

To read the complete article on successmagazine.com, please click here.

Petaluma-based Solairus on growth trajectory

By Jenna V. Loceff, Business Journal Staff Reporter

Establishes private jet charter fleet in Florida, now has 200 employees, planes on both coasts

PETALUMA – Charter jet company Solairus Aviation has tripled in size under its new name and continues to expand its offerings and coverage.

The 200-employee company was born out of the closure of Sunset Aviation, a 16-year-old venture that was shut down last year in the wake of its parent company’s bankruptcy. It had emerged from that event with 60 employees.

After one year in business, Solairus has established a charter jet fleet nationwide. A  Falcon and Hawker and a new Gulfstream G550 are available to charter customers. The Gulfstream, a large-cabin, ultra-long-range business jet is the newest addition to the 50-plane charter jet fleet.

“This is the second Gulfstream G550 to join our charter certificate in the last nine months – I am very proud of our team and everyone who made this happen,” said Solairus VP of Business Development Craig Zirzow. “The East Coast is a major area of focus for us right now. With one G550 based in San Francisco and the other in Florida, we can now offer our clients even more flexibility and convenience when planning their long-range trips.”

To read the entire North Bay Business Journal Article, please click here.