Clay Lacy Aviation

Clay Lacy Aviation

Company type	Private
Industry	Business aviation
Founded	1968
Founder	Clay Lacy
Headquarters	Van Nuys, Los Angeles , United States
Area served	United States (nationwide)
Key people	Brian Kirkdoffer (President and CEO)
Products	Aircraft management, private jet charter, maintenance, fixed-base operator (FBO) services

Clay Lacy Aviation is a company specializing in business aviation, established in 1968 at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) by its founder Clay Lacy. The firm offers a range of services including aircraft management, private jet charter, maintenance, fixed-base operator (FBO) operations, and additional solutions tailored to both private individuals and corporate clientele. Clay Lacy Aviation oversees a nationwide fleet of more than 100 business jets valued collectively at upwards of $1.5 billion, with the majority available for both domestic and international charter flights.

The company’s operational hubs, hangars, and FAA Part 145 Repair Stations are situated at Van Nuys Airport, McClellan–Palomar Airport near San Diego, and Waterbury-Oxford Airport close to New York. Its managed aircraft are stationed across various general aviation airports throughout the United States. Clay Lacy runs comprehensive FBO facilities at Van Nuys Airport and at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, which it has operated since January 2021. A new FBO location at Waterbury-Oxford Airport is slated to open in 2024, further strengthening the company’s footprint on the East Coast.

History

Clay Lacy Aviation was established in 1968 by Clay Lacy himself as an on-demand jet charter service based at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, becoming the sole jet charter provider west of the Mississippi River at that time. Early clientele included notable Hollywood figures such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Over the following decade, the company expanded its portfolio to include aircraft management and maintenance services and, in 1981, launched the first all-jet fixed-base operator (FBO).

In 2002, Clay Lacy extended its presence to the Pacific Northwest by opening a hangar and full-service FBO at Seattle’s Boeing Field, which was further augmented in 2009 with an additional 40,000 square feet of hangar capacity. By 2016, the company had inaugurated an FAA Part 145 Repair Station there and introduced FAA-certified private jet charter operations.

Brian Kirkdoffer joined Clay Lacy Aviation as a pilot in 1990 and holds four world aeronautical speed records. He was appointed president in 2006 and acquired majority ownership in 2013. Currently serving as president and CEO, Kirkdoffer leads the company’s strategic direction and growth initiatives.

A satellite office was launched at McClellan-Palomar Airport near San Diego in 2011, followed by the addition of an FAA Part 145 Repair Station in 2016. That same year, Clay Lacy acquired Key Air, an East Coast private aviation enterprise operating out of Waterbury-Oxford Airport near New York; this location achieved FAA Part 145 certification in 2018.

In 2017, Clay Lacy’s ground operations at Seattle Boeing Field became the first in North America to earn IS-BAH Stage II safety registration, demonstrating its dedication to industry-leading safety practices.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, Clay Lacy inaugurated its first office in New York while divesting its Seattle operations. In January 2019, it launched a continuous-operation MRO facility within its FAA Part 145 Repair Station at Van Nuys Airport. The Waterbury-Oxford maintenance operation received FAA Part 145 certification that April.

Embraer expanded Clay Lacy’s authorized service center status at Van Nuys in January 2020 to include Legacy and Praetor jets; previously, the company had serviced Phenom models since 2009 and began conducting their comprehensive 10-year inspections starting in 2019.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic during April 2020, Clay Lacy implemented its CleanCheck health and safety protocol across all operations and broadened aircraft detailing services to incorporate disinfecting procedures through both maintenance centers and mobile teams.

In September 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors granted Clay Lacy a 35-year lease to develop a full-service FBO featuring hangar space and a private terminal at John Wayne Airport; operations commenced in January 2021 with plans for a $95 million facility constructed over two phases.

Later that October, the Connecticut Airport Authority announced Clay Lacy’s expansion with a new FBO and hangar complex scheduled to open at Waterbury-Oxford Airport in 2024. This development is projected to create around 100 jobs and includes plans for an additional 120,000 square feet dedicated to maintenance and hangar facilities. Notably, its initial hangar equipped with large doors designed for modern aircraft sold out prior to opening.

In September 2021, Clay Lacy collaborated with electric aircraft manufacturer Eviation Aircraft to install charging infrastructure for the Eviation Alice within its FBO network—positioning itself as a leader in sustainable aviation technologies.

Transport Canada approved Clay Lacy’s Waterbury-Oxford FAA Repair Station for Canadian business jet maintenance services in November 2021.

The FAA recognized Clay Lacy among the top two percent of U.S. Part 135 operators completing its Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP) in March 2023, highlighting the company’s strong safety culture.

In March 2024, Clay Lacy became an authorized dealer and installer of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service for aircraft at its Van Nuys and Oxford MRO facilities—enhancing global connectivity options for clients.

Founder Clay Lacy received Aviation Week Network’s lifetime achievement award in March 2024 in recognition of his career accomplishments and instrumental role in pioneering the business jet industry.

Sustainability strategy and carbon-neutral operations

In 2020, Clay Lacy initiated a comprehensive sustainability plan across the United States in collaboration with World Kinect Energy Services, a division of World Fuel Services. This program incorporates the use of renewable energy sources, sustainable fuels including Renewable Diesel (RD) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), eco-friendly procurement, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and carbon credit purchases to neutralize emissions from its facilities and client services.

By January 2021, a 30,000-square-foot solar array was installed at Clay Lacy’s Van Nuys Airport headquarters, reducing carbon emissions by roughly 500 metric tons annually. The company also transitioned to LED lighting systems and implemented 44 electric vehicle charging stations on its premises.

In February 2021, Clay Lacy became the inaugural official rating partner of 4AIR, a sustainability certification program for private aviation. This collaboration confirmed the company’s carbon-neutral certification for its locations in Van Nuys, San Diego, Orange County, Seattle, and Oxford. The partnership entails continuous monitoring of Clay Lacy’s carbon offset initiatives and renewable energy consumption.

March 2021 saw the rollout of SAF at Clay Lacy’s FBOs located at Van Nuys and John Wayne Orange County Airports through World Fuel Services. During the same month, Air Elite verified that the Van Nuys FBO had maintained carbon-neutral operations since 2019.

In December 2021, Clay Lacy received the inaugural certification under the National Air Transportation Association’s Sustainability Standard for Aviation Businesses. This standard encourages adaptable and cost-efficient approaches to reducing carbon footprints for FBOs and airports.

By April 2022, the company was acknowledged by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership for its commitment to renewable energy adoption, establishing it as a front-runner in environmental responsibility within the industry.

Advancing its environmental efforts in January 2024, Clay Lacy teamed up with electric aircraft manufacturers to deploy air taxi charging stations at its John Wayne Airport FBO as part of Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS). Additionally, it is developing operational support and charging facilities for eVTOL producer Overair at its Van Nuys and Orange County sites.

On February 7, 2024, a Hawker 900XP operated by Clay Lacy Aviation crashed near the Utah-Colorado border shortly after departing from Grand Junction Regional Airport, resulting in the fatalities of both pilots. Investigations into this incident are currently underway.

Aviation training and education scholarships

In addition to direct financial contributions, Clay Lacy Aviation actively supports pilot scholarship programs at institutions such as the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota and Orange Coast College in California. Scholarships are also provided through organizations like the Flight Path Museum and Learning Center in Los Angeles and Gold Stars to Blue Skies, which assists children of fallen U.S. Marines. The company further funds scholarships for students attending LAUSD's North Valley Occupational Center Aviation Mechanics School and Connecticut Aerotech School. Clay Lacy Aviation strengthens its educational outreach through initiatives like Aviation Career Day at Van Nuys Airport along with mentoring and job shadowing opportunities, demonstrating its dedication to developing future aviation professionals.

Safety and Operational Accreditations

• FAR Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate: BKEA492C
• FAR Part 145 Repair Stations include BKER301L (Los Angeles, California), 4XGR883C (San Diego, California), and 81CR317D (Oxford, Connecticut)
• ARGUS Platinum accreditation
• Wyvern Wingman certification
• International Standard for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO) Stage III approval
• FAA Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP) recognition