Founded

1999

Headquarters

Manassas, Virginia

Key People

Bolling DeSouza, managing partner; Christopher DeSouza, partner

Number of Employees

4

Phone Number

(703) 257-7008

Website

AeroSolutions

AeroSolutions

Family-owned Aero Solutions provides sales, brokering, and acquisition services for jet, turboprop, and piston aircraft from Manassas Regional Airport near Washington, D.C.

Bolling and James DeSouza, sons of a Brazilian-born airline pilot based in the D.C. area, founded the company after spending a few years at a local aircraft brokerage. As the older brother by four years, Bolling entered the industry first, in 1993, and assisted with two aircraft sales transactions that year. He brought James on board as his assistant about a year later and in 1995 they closed six deals, including their first international sale. Bolling concentrated on learning the light jet industry—mostly Citations and Learjets at that time—while James focused on King Airs and other turboprops.

The brothers set up Aero Solutions in 1999, closing 20 to 25 deals annually in their first few years while initially working from home. They set up an agreement with a Kentucky-based firm for pre-buy inspections and other light maintenance and purchased a twin-engine Piper Aztec that could be flown by either brother to shorten the D.C.-to-Kentucky commute. In 2019, the company swapped the Aztec for a Cirrus SR22T.

In 2004 Aero Solutions leased land at Manassas Regional Airport and built a 10,000-square-foot hangar with 6,000 square feet of ramp space. Used mainly for the company’s own aircraft and office, the hangar also provides space for locally brokered aircraft, which account for approximately 10 percent of the firm’s business. 

Aero Solutions’ sales transactions grew to an average of one per week by 2007 and Bolling’s wife, Linh, joined the company in 2008 to provide additional sales and administrative support. When the Great Recession hit, the brothers decided that the company would remain more profitable as a small entity; its three employees averaged 45 to 50 transactions per year for the next decade, working the light jet market and assisting clients in the turboprop-to-jet transition. 

After approximately 18 years in business, James decided to leave Aero Solutions to move to Brazil in 2017. Linh took over turboprop and piston sales, and the company hired Suzanne Brandt as a sales analyst. 

Bolling (at right in photo) and Linh’s son, Christopher (at left), a business analyst and private pilot with an instrument rating, joined the company as partner in 2020. Now with four employees, Aero Solutions had its best year in 2020, achieving 58 transactions, including the export of two aircraft to an air ambulance service in Brazil.