FAA Approves Surf Air Mobility's OperatorOS as Authorized Electronic Records System for Part 135 Airlines
Why It MattersThe approval signals a broader push toward digitizing paperwork-heavy Part 135 operations, positioning software vendors to sell compliance and records systems across the charter and commuter segment.
Surf Air Mobility Inc. announced on August 26, 2026 that the FAA has approved OperatorOS, its proprietary flight operations software, as an authorized system of record, allowing its airlines to replace paper signatures, records, and manuals with electronic alternatives. The approval covers the Part 135 certificate under which both Southern Airways Express and Mokulele Airlines operate, letting pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, and trainers at those carriers use digital screens instead of paper binders. Crew records, training documentation, weight and balance data, bulletins, safety reports, and all aircraft manuals on the certificate, including pilot operating handbooks, are now fully electronic.
Louis Saint-Cyr, President of Airline Operations at Surf Air Mobility, called the FAA's authorization "a vote of confidence" in OperatorOS, saying it is expected to help unlock commercial opportunities as the software is offered to other operators, many of which still rely on paper records and manual processes. OperatorOS is developed and tested within Surf Air Mobility's own airline operations before any external release. The Los Angeles-based company operates one of the largest commuter airlines in the United States by scheduled departures and also provides private charter services.
