Horizon Air Group, the holding firm that acquired Texan business charter specialist Starbase Aviation (Houston Ellington) last summer, has rebranded itself as Leviate following pressure from Alaska Air Group owing to naming similarities with its Horizon Air (QX, Seattle Tacoma International) unit.
“To say they [Alaska/Horizon Airlines] had no influence on our rebranding decision wouldn’t be the whole truth, but we honestly also took it as a compliment that our once small company so quickly caught the eye of such a powerhouse in aviation," Luis Barros, Founder and CEO of Leviate, said. "It has also allowed us the freedom to create a brand and mark that is uniquely our own and can symbolize all the great new offerings that are now at our disposal."
Leviate's services include a dedicated air charter brokerage, aircraft sales and acquisitions, and its FAA Part 135-certificated air carrier, Starbase Jet.
In terms of aircraft, Starbase Jet operates a variety of Embraer, Cessna Aircraft Company, Bombardier Aerospace, Dassault Aviation, and Gulfstream Aerospace business jets alongside Beechcraft, Pilatus Aircraft, and Piaggio Aerospace turboprops.
“By the close of 2020,” Barros added, “we anticipate having 20 aircraft under our management. This will position Leviate as a substantial air charter operator in the US.”
