SONAS Aviation Gears Up for Irish AOC

SONAS Aviation, the new Shannon-based aircraft charter and management company, founded late last year by Graham Williamson, former CEO of TAG Aviation Europe, is just weeks away from acquiring its Irish AOC. 

With its first managed aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 605, to be available for charter on the new EJ-register, Graham will be at Corporate Jet Investor’s London conference next week to meet with financiers and G-registration aircraft operators.

SONAS Aviation is duly offering aircraft owners a simple transition for their aircraft to an EASA Operation, allowing free movement in Europe and unfettered traffic rights to the 44 countries covered by EU bilateral agreements, including the USA and Canada. 

An alternative jurisdiction, so close to the UK, with an excellent legal, finance and banking fraternity will add to the EJ appeal, he believes.

While SONAS Aviation is brand new, behind it sits a management team with decades of aviation experience. Graham has been joined by Russell Allchorne, former VP Operations at TAG Aviation Europe as the COO, and Keith Brennan, former Post Holder with Eirtech Aviation, as Airworthiness Director. SONAS is supported by the Air Law Firm and its Founding Partner Aoife O’Sullivan, a widely regarded business aviation lawyer.

As well as traditional aircraft management, SONAS Aviation will be offering expertise to clients looking to lease, rather than ‘buy’ their corporate jets. Operator leases could become the biggest driver in business aviation, especially popular in the large cabin sector, which Graham will highlight whilst chairing a panel on day two (January 28th) of CJI London ‘Dispelling corporate airliner myths – the cost of operations.’ 

SONAS Aviation is not seeking to grow into a large aircraft management company. Rather, it wants to build a close relationship with select clients, build trust and deliver a quality, personal service, maintaining full transparency on costs.

Ahead of its operational start, drawing on lessons learned, SONAS and its primarily Irish team, has created seamless processes for all elements of planning, operations and customer service using harmonised cloud-based systems.