Aero operates premium, custom-designed 16-seat aircraft that fly direct between private terminals, targeting premium leisure travelers. Led by CEO Uma Subramanian, the company provides personalized Concierge services from booking to touchdown and markets a distinctive fleet of black planes. In the U.S. its flights run as public charters operated by its wholly owned subsidiary USAC Airways 695 LLC (FAA Air Carrier Certificate 5U5A029Q), and Aero acts as both public charter operator and indirect air carrier under DOT Part 380. The company serves curated destinations across the U.S. and Europe, enriching the guest experience at private terminals. Current routes include Aspen, Los Cabos and Sun Valley from Los Angeles (Van Nuys) and San Francisco (SFO), and Ibiza, Mykonos and Nice from London’s Farnborough Airport. Aero intends to use new funding to drive global market expansion and to address increased demand on existing routes. Aero offers "semi-private" air travel that flies out of private terminals on small, spacious planes retrofitted from 37 seats down to 16 and supported by a concierge team. The company currently operates a single route between Los Angeles and Aspen with one-way tickets priced at $1,250. CEO Uma Subramanian said Aero sold a lot of seats after borders reopened and was gross margin positive in July and August. Aero ran test flights between Mykonos and Ibiza prior to the pandemic and began offering flights as travel resumed. The startup is backed by Garrett Camp’s startup studio Expa. Management plans to use new funding to grow the team, add more flights, launch a Los Angeles–Cabo San Lucas route in April, and return to Europe later in the year. Aero is a premium air travel startup that matches travelers heading to the same destination onto direct flights into and out of private airports, aiming to offer private-jet luxury for less than commercial first class. The company emphasizes a luxurious, social in-flight experience and the ability for customers to skip airport security. It ran test flights this summer in partnership with a European air carrier between Mykonos and Ibiza and plans to start selling tickets to Telluride and La Paz next month. Aero is developing a mobile-first booking and ticketing system to support its service. The startup has raised $16 million in funding and is backed by Garrett Camp’s startup studio Expa, with additional investment from GGV Capital. A company spokesperson said customers skew toward millennial and Gen Z, experience-driven travelers.

Total raised

$101M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Aug 2022