Leviate Air Group Adds Two Challenger 300s and Plans Part 125 Operations
Why It MattersCharter operators and managers are widening into airliner-scale operations and consulting, a sign that the line between charter, aircraft management and advisory services keeps blurring for firms seeking more than flying revenue.
What happened
Leviate Air Group, a Dallas-based charter operator, broker and aircraft management firm, is expanding its fleet and business. The company has added two Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft to its managed fleet, one of which is based at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.
Leviate also announced plans to launch Part 125 airliner operations, using the initial Boeing 767 it has under contract. It will manage and operate the 767 under a Part 125 structure for the aircraft owner. The operator said it may explore Part 121 operations if, in the words of its press release, "timing and opportunit…
The company also launched an advisory group led by Eric DuFay, now Head of Advisory. According to his LinkedIn profile, DuFay has 18 years of experience in private aircraft sales and management; he served as VP of Fleet Sales at Leviate from 2020 to 2021 and, most recently, as Global Charter Manager at Netflix for more than five years. The advisory group aims to guide executive teams and flight departments as they evaluate operational needs, business objectives and travel requirements.
CEO Luis Barros said in a press release that the expansion into advisory services, Part 125 operations and a rapidly growing nationwide charter fleet reflects the dedication of the team and its integrated corporate approach. He added that the company is building capability and flexibility for clients while staying focused on safe, well-structured operations and long-term value.
Industry impact & what to watch
Part 125 sits between business-jet charter and scheduled airline flying, and it is mostly used for large aircraft operated for a single owner or group rather than sold seat by seat. A charter and management company taking on a Boeing 767 under that structure shows how operators look beyond mid-size jet fleets for growth, using their existing management and operational control infrastructure to serve owners of much larger aircraft.
Adding an advisory arm points the same way. Management firms increasingly sell guidance on how a flight department should be structured alongside the flying itself, which keeps them close to clients' decisions before those clients ever buy or charter an aircraft. It also gives an operator a second revenue line that does not depend on flight hours.
The company has left the door open to Part 121 operations depending on timing and opportunity, so any filing or announcement on that front would be the clearest sign of how far the airliner strategy goes beyond the single 767.
