Surf Air Mobility Expands OperatorOS Business with Clipper Aviation Agreement
Surf Air Mobility has expanded the commercial reach of its flight operations software business after signing a definitive agreement with Clipper Aviation to deploy OperatorOS, an AI-enabled platform designed to help Part 135 aviation operators manage their day-to-day activities more efficiently.
The agreement represents the fourth commercial contract secured by Surf Air Mobility for OperatorOS and marks another step toward the company’s objective of having five operators actively using the platform by the end of 2026. Under the agreement, Surf Air Mobility will receive a percentage of the revenue generated from Clipper Aviation flights that are managed through the OperatorOS platform.
The latest contract strengthens Surf Air Mobility’s strategy of developing its software business alongside its aviation operations. OperatorOS is part of the company’s broader SurfOS technology platform, which is designed to support private aviation and advanced air mobility operators with digital tools for managing aircraft, crews, flight activity, reporting and distribution.
Clipper Aviation Adds Another Operator to OperatorOS Network
Clipper Aviation currently operates four aircraft. By adopting OperatorOS, the company is expected to gain access to a centralized software environment for managing aircraft and crew schedules, coordinating flight operations and improving visibility across its business.The platform is intended to reduce the amount of manual work required to coordinate operational activities while giving management teams clearer access to information and actionable insights.
For an aviation company operating a relatively small fleet, efficient use of aircraft and crew resources can be particularly important. Scheduling changes, aircraft availability, crew assignments and flight management activities can require coordination across multiple operational functions. OperatorOS is designed to bring those activities together within a single system.Charles Raffini, President of Clipper Aviation, said the company’s lean operating model makes it especially important for its technology systems to support employees while also being capable of scaling as the company grows.
Raffini said Clipper is looking forward to using OperatorOS to further automate and streamline its daily operations.The agreement therefore provides Clipper with a technology platform intended not only to support its existing four-aircraft operation, but also to provide a foundation for future expansion.
Fourth Commercial OperatorOS Contract
For Surf Air Mobility, the agreement is significant because it becomes the company’s fourth commercial OperatorOS contract.The company has set a target of having five operators live on the platform by the end of 2026. Adding Clipper Aviation brings Surf Air Mobility closer to that objective and demonstrates continued progress in converting OperatorOS from an internally used aviation technology platform into a commercial software offering.
Barrett Brown, President of SurfOS at Surf Air Mobility, said the company is pleased to add Clipper Aviation to its growing group of OperatorOS customers.Brown also highlighted the wider value of adding operators to the platform. According to Surf Air Mobility, every additional aircraft connected to OperatorOS can increase the amount of available inventory that its broker network can access.This creates a relationship between the software’s operational capabilities and Surf Air Mobility’s broader marketplace strategy.
As additional aircraft and operators join OperatorOS, the platform can collect and connect more supply and operational information. That information can then contribute to the company’s broader SurfOS ecosystem, potentially helping brokers identify and access more aviation inventory.
Revenue-Sharing Model Supports Software Strategy
An important element of the Clipper Aviation agreement is the commercial structure between the two companies.Rather than relying solely on a conventional software subscription model, Surf Air Mobility will earn a percentage of revenue from Clipper flights managed through OperatorOS.
The arrangement gives Surf Air Mobility an opportunity to generate software-related revenue that is linked to the aviation activity taking place on its platform.The model also creates a connection between the success of the operators using OperatorOS and Surf Air Mobility’s software business. As more flights are managed through the platform, Surf Air Mobility can participate in the resulting revenue.This approach forms part of the company’s effort to commercialize SurfOS technology across private aviation and the emerging advanced air mobility sector.
AI-Enabled Tools for Part 135 Operators
OperatorOS has been developed specifically to address the operational requirements of Part 135 operators.The platform is designed to cover several core areas of aviation management, including aircraft scheduling, crew scheduling, flight management, reporting and distribution.By bringing these functions together, OperatorOS aims to give operators a centralized system through which they can manage their operational activities.The platform is also AI-enabled, with the goal of helping operators turn operational information into useful insights and reducing repetitive manual processes.
For operators managing aircraft, crews and flight schedules, access to more centralized and timely information can help improve coordination and operational visibility. OperatorOS is intended to provide that functionality while allowing operators to manage their businesses through a single digital environment.The technology has already been used by Surf Air Mobility for its own airline operations. Since 2025, OperatorOS has supported the company’s Southern Airways and Mokulele Airlines operations.This internal experience has provided Surf Air Mobility with an operating environment in which it could use and develop the platform before expanding its commercial availability to outside operators.
FAA Approval Adds Operational Significance
Another recent development supporting OperatorOS is approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.The platform was recently approved by the FAA as an authorized system of record for electronic signatures and recordkeeping.
The approval is an important development for a software platform intended for aviation operators because documentation, recordkeeping and compliance are critical components of airline and charter operations.By supporting electronic signatures and recordkeeping through an authorized system, OperatorOS can help operators manage certain documentation requirements within their broader digital workflow.For Surf Air Mobility, the approval also strengthens the platform’s positioning as a purpose-built aviation technology solution rather than simply a general scheduling or business management application.
Building a Connected Aviation Ecosystem
Surf Air Mobility’s strategy extends beyond providing individual software tools to aviation operators. The company is seeking to build an interconnected ecosystem through its SurfOS platform.Each operator that joins OperatorOS adds additional aircraft, supply and operational data to the broader SurfOS environment.
That information can strengthen the connection between OperatorOS and BrokerOS, another component of the company’s technology strategy. BrokerOS is designed to support distribution through the company’s broker network.The company believes that adding more operators and aircraft can improve the relationship between available supply and broker demand.
In practical terms, an expanding network of operators can provide brokers with more aircraft inventory to consider when serving customers. At the same time, operators can potentially gain access to a broader distribution network through the platform.This creates a network effect that Surf Air Mobility hopes will become more valuable as additional operators join the system.
SurfOS Commercialization Gains Momentum
The Clipper Aviation agreement comes as Surf Air Mobility continues its efforts to commercialize SurfOS across private aviation and advanced air mobility.The company has recently appointed Barrett Brown as President of SurfOS. In that role, Brown is responsible for helping accelerate commercial contracts and expand software revenue.
His appointment reflects the company’s increasing focus on turning the technology platform into a meaningful commercial business.The addition of Clipper Aviation provides another customer relationship through which Surf Air Mobility can demonstrate the capabilities of OperatorOS in an external operating environment.With four commercial OperatorOS agreements now in place and a goal of having five operators live on the platform before the end of 2026, the company is approaching an important milestone in its commercialization strategy.
Clipper Agreement Supports Broader Growth Plans
For Clipper Aviation, OperatorOS is expected to provide tools for improving operational efficiency while supporting the company’s expansion plans.For Surf Air Mobility, the agreement represents more than the addition of another software customer. The company expects each new operator to contribute additional aircraft and operational information to its growing technology ecosystem.The combination of flight operations management, data, distribution and broker connectivity is central to Surf Air Mobility’s vision for SurfOS.
The company is positioning OperatorOS as a technology platform that can help Part 135 operators simplify their operations while also connecting their available aircraft to a broader aviation marketplace.With Clipper Aviation operating four aircraft and joining the growing OperatorOS network, Surf Air Mobility continues to move toward its end-of-2026 target of five operators live on the platform.
The agreement also highlights the company’s broader transition toward generating software revenue alongside its aviation operations. Through its revenue-sharing arrangement with Clipper and its expanding operator network, Surf Air Mobility is seeking to create a technology business that benefits from both the operational activity taking place on its platform and the growth of the private aviation and advanced air mobility markets.As additional operators adopt OperatorOS, the company expects the resulting increase in aircraft supply and operational data to further strengthen the SurfOS ecosystem and its broker distribution capabilities. The Clipper Aviation agreement is therefore another step in Surf Air Mobility’s effort to establish SurfOS as a connected digital infrastructure for aviation operators and the wider private aviation marketplace.
About Surf Air Mobility
Surf Air Mobility is a Los Angeles-based air mobility platform. With its AI-enabled SurfOS software, Surf Air Mobility provides technology designed to support the modernization of air operations and the adoption of next-generation aircraft. The Company currently operates one of the largest commuter airlines in the United States by scheduled departures and provides private charter services. Together, these businesses provide the operational scale and real-world operating data to validate and deploy its software. These capabilities position Surf Air Mobility as a leader shaping a more efficient, connected, and accessible future for aviation.