First Class Air has acquired Vertical Aerospace, an Oklahoma-based maintenance, repair and overhaul specialist, adding complex structural repair, engineering and fabricated parts manufacturing to its service portfolio.

The acquired company will continue operating from its Bristow facility, servicing commercial, military and cargo aircraft. For First Class Air, the deal extends an offering that already spans distribution, MRO, DER, PMA, teardown and exchange capabilities.

What does the acquisition add?

Vertical Aerospace brings a set of specialized services that First Class Air did not previously list in its portfolio:

• Nacelles and thrust reversers
• Flight control surfaces
• Composite and metallic structural repair
• Cowlings, duct and exhaust components
• Engineering and repair development
• Fabrication
• Non-destructive testing (NDT)
• Specialized processing

The Bristow facility underpins much of this work with an autoclave and clean room, phosphoric acid anodize and cleaning capabilities, heat treat, welding, laser tracking, engineering and design systems, and specialized manufacturing and repair equipment.

What certifications does the MRO hold?

Vertical Aerospace operates under an AS9100 Rev. D certified quality system and holds both FAA and EASA repair station certifications. Those credentials cover the commercial, military and cargo aircraft segments the company serves from Bristow.

The regulatory approvals matter commercially. FAA and EASA repair station certificates allow the company to perform work for a broad customer base, and the AS9100 standard addresses aerospace quality management requirements across design and manufacturing processes.

What did the executives say?

First Class Air CEO Isac Roths positioned the acquisition as a capability play rather than a consolidation of overlapping operations.

"Vertical Aerospace is a great addition to First Class Air providing another highly experienced team and differentiated capabilities which complement the services we provide across our organization," Roths said.

"By bringing Vertical Aerospace's structural repair, engineering and fabricated part manufacturing expertise together with our existing distribution, MRO, DER, PMA, teardown and exchange capabilities, we can provide customers with even more solutions through one integrated company," he added.

Vertical Aerospace Founder and General Manager Tray Siegfried signaled continuity for existing customers while pointing to growth through the new parent's network.

"We will continue serving our customers with the same team and commitment they know today, while gaining access to a much broader network of capabilities and resources for growth that will allow us to provide even more solutions in the future," Siegfried said.

He noted that the company had built its business around "technical expertise, creative problem solving and a commitment to making it easy for our customers to do business with us," principles he said align with First Class Air.

Why does integration matter for operators?

The transaction reflects a broader pattern in the aftermarket: distributors and MRO groups are acquiring specialized repair and manufacturing capability to offer operators a single point of access across parts supply, repair and engineering.

Structural repair, nacelle and thrust reverser work represents a segment where operators face limited capacity and long turnaround times. By combining fabricated parts manufacturing with its DER and PMA capabilities, First Class Air can address part scarcity and repair development in-house rather than routing work through multiple vendors.

Roths framed the rationale in operational terms: "Our focus has always been on finding better ways to solve problems for our customers and keep their aircraft operating."

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Vertical Aerospace will retain its name, team and Bristow operation while drawing on First Class Air's broader resources, and the combined entity plans to expand the range of solutions it offers across commercial, military and cargo fleets.