Surf Air
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | David Eyerly, Wade Eyerly, Peter Bi, Scott Porter, Cory Cozzens, Reed Farnsworth |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Parent | Surf Air Mobility |
Surf Air is an aviation marketplace headquartered in Los Angeles that specializes in regional air travel and emphasizes the advancement of electric aircraft technology. It operates as a division of Surf Air Mobility.
History
Established in 2012 by David Eyerly, Wade Eyerly, Peter Bi, Scott Porter, Cory Cozzens, and Reed Farnsworth, Surf Air was born out of the Los Angeles-based incubator MuckerLab. Early financial support came from angel investors such as Paige Craig and Bill Woodward. The company secured over $9 million in its Series A funding round by June 2013, with contributions from Anthem Venture Partners, NEA, TriplePoint Capital, and VegasTechFund among others.
In June 2017, Surf Air expanded its operations into Texas through the acquisition of RISE, which serviced airports including Austin Bergstrom and Dallas Love Field. Nick Kennedy, founder of RISE, was appointed to oversee Surf Air’s Texas division. These routes were subsequently transferred to Tradewind Aviation.
Surf Air commenced European services in July 2017, offering subscription flights from London to Ibiza starting at £1,750 per month. The European fleet featured an Embraer Phenom 300 private jet with intentions to extend flights to Zurich, Cannes, Munich, and Milan. By October 2017, Surf Air provided combined unlimited flight memberships covering both US and Europe for £3,150 monthly. Nonetheless, Surf Air Europe ceased operations and entered liquidation in December 2018.
In February 2018, the company introduced on-demand charter services for aircraft outside its owned fleet. Later that year in October, Surf Air launched Surf Air Express aimed at customers flying less frequently through a model combining annual membership fees with per-flight charges.
Operational management was transferred to Encompass Aviation under CEO Sudhin Shahani in May 2017. Despite retaining existing pilots and aircraft, payment disagreements arose leading Surf Air to switch operators to Advanced Air Charter by mid-2018 amid IRS liens totaling nearly $2.5 million related to unpaid federal excise taxes.
Surf Air acquired Blackbird in February 2020 to utilize its digital platform for expansion without increasing its aircraft count. The company announced ambitions to grow its destination network from seven to 23 by mid-2021 and sustained monthly increases in both flights and passenger volume into 2022.
In February 2021, Surf Air Mobility purchased hybrid-electric aircraft developer Ampaire but later abandoned the $100 million acquisition plan in April 2022.
Surf Air Mobility went public through a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "SRFM" in July 2023.
Destinations
Surf Air provides global On Demand charter flight services with a particular emphasis on regional travel, enabling clients to select their preferred type of aircraft.
Fleet
The fleet used by Surf Air operates under the certification of Southern Airways Express, with all flights conducted by Southern Airways Express personnel.
Certification
Surf Air acts solely as a sales intermediary and does not own or directly operate any aircraft. All flights for members are carried out by independent carriers holding FAA certification and DOT registration.