Software as an Airline, not the other way around.
Asteria Air is a planned U.S. regional carrier preparing for Part 121 and 135 certification, building AsteriaAtlas as our primary long-term asset.
We are building AsteriaAtlas on live data, featuring automated pipelines and a growing Q400 fleet model.
One Integrated Platform
AsteriaAtlas replaces up to 20 legacy systems to drive hyper-efficient airline operations.
Digital Twin Architecture
Our software runs simulation and production using identical logic to ensure seamless operations.
Software Margins, Not Airline Margins
We leverage our operational data to license Atlas to other carriers at high software margins.
Target Airports Across Midwest & Florida
Real-World Data Feeds Powering Atlas
Fleet Type for Maximum Efficiency
Two products, one company.
Our airline, Asteria Air is our proving ground and data engine; AsteriaAtlas is the operating system we sell.
The Airline: Asteria Air
An independent regional carrier being designed for future Part 121 scheduled service, with a Part 135 subsidiary planned for thin routes and short/water strips the Q400 can't serve.
Fleet & Network
- Fleet: 70-seat Q400 turboprops optimized for quick turns.
- Network: Midwest/Great Lakes hub at GRR; the Part 135 fleet follows the season south to Florida for winter.
Strategic Edge
We compete directly against car travel, engineering our entire product to consistently beat 2–5+ hour door-to-door drives.
The Platform: AsteriaAtlas
A comprehensive operating system for the entire airline stack—from network planning to booking and customer service.
Unified Architecture
- Integrated Platform: Replaces 15–20+ fragmented legacy vendor systems.
- Digital Twin: Simulation and production run on identical data, training the system daily.
Long-Term Vision
We prove that modern airlines run on one "brain," then license this software to other carriers at 75–80% gross margins.
Bypassing hubs and restoring lost routes.
Consolidation, scope clauses, and pilot shortages gutted regional flying — leaving Western Michigan with a choice between multi-stop hub runs or 4–6+ hour winter drives.
The Problem
Regional departures have plummeted since 2019, forcing travelers into long, stressful drives or inefficient hub connections.
Our Solution
We leverage Q400 economics and algorithm-first scheduling to restore nonstop city pairs that major carriers have abandoned.
The Result
We prioritize total trip time to get passengers out of their cars and back into the air with seamless regional service.
Michigan born. GRR home base. The fleet follows the season.
Asteria is a Pure Michigan airline. With our North Woods aesthetic and Michigan-sourced onboard offerings, we are bypassing the major hub headaches of Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit.
The Network
- Midwest from GRR: Milwaukee, Madison, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Omaha, Des Moines, and Traverse City via nonstops and smart one-stops.
- Inter-Michigan: Q400 and Part 135 shuttles linking Traverse City, Pellston, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Marquette.
- Florida for Winter: the Part 135 fleet (Twin Otter amphibs + a Dornier 228) shifts to Florida dock and land markets for the season — Starlink-equipped, one-ticket feed into the network. The Q400 mainline keeps flying its northern network all winter.
The fleet: Q400 mainline, plus the Part 135 metal that teaches Atlas.
The Q400 flies the Part 121 mainline. The Part 135 subsidiary flies the Dornier and Twin Otters (amphib + landplane) into short, turf, and water strips the Q400 can't — one livery, all Starlink-equipped, all feeding one itinerary.
We exclusively fly the De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 (Q400). This 70-seat turboprop offers jet-like performance on the short-haul routes where regional efficiency matters most.
Right-Sized
Perfectly sized for routes where larger jets fail to pencil, enabling service restoration rather than cuts.
Jet-Competitive
Fast turnaround times keep us competitive with jets on sub-500 nm legs.
Winter-Built
Engineered for harsh climates with a proven safety record in demanding conditions.
Fast Turns
Optimized for 10–25 minute turn times, designed from the Gantt chart backwards.
Atlas-Optimized Routes
AsteriaAtlas identifies the precise range and performance edge for maximum route profitability.
One Fleet, One Brain
Unified training and maintenance playbooks create a simplified, software-managed reliability model.
Passenger-obsessed policies that beat the car.
Our policies prioritize speed, calm, and predictability for a faster, enjoyable trip.
Free Checked Bags
Free Checked bags, no carry-on chaos.
Premium Concierge
Open seating with real human help, no fare ladders.
Ground Shuttle
Free shuttles from key areas — we own your door-to-door time.
One Fare, No Tricks
One fare, free changes, zero hidden fees.
Sensory Friendly
Earplugs, calm lighting, and sensory-friendly experiences built in.
Real Comfort
2–2 seating, no middle seats, Starlink Wi-Fi, local Michigan snacks & drinks.
Focused efficiency: one fleet, one platform, ghost stations.
One fleet, one platform, one playbook — every physical and digital operation engineered to remove friction.
Software Operations
Atlas is being built to support scheduling, dispatch workflow, maintenance visibility, gate planning, audit trails, and human-authorized operational control.
Physical Automation
Self-tag bag drop, self-scan gates, weight-sensing hardware, electric GSE, and app-guided deicing. Every step removes friction.
Ghost Stations
One cross-trained Operator, contracted screening, remote CX on video. Security program and station flows designed to comply with applicable TSA requirements, subject to approval. 25 minute curb-to-seat design target at eligible stations.
Reliability
One fleet, one playbook, one platform. When something breaks, Atlas coordinates recovery so the system flexes instead of collapsing.
Crew as Competitive Advantage
Best regional job in the country. Competitive pay, stable schedules, one fleet type, and a culture built around precision. Retention is an ops metric, not an HR afterthought.
Seamless connections, unified customer experience.
One itinerary. Every leg, every connection, every partner flight — stitched together and watched in real time. When something breaks, we fix it before you notice.
One Brain for the Trip
We run our own booking and CX stack, wired into airline rails. It provides a single source of truth for flights, connections, and recovery.
Weaponized Spokes
Atlas evaluates real demand and MCTs to surface self-connect options through our hubs. We make these connections viable without the typical risk.
Stealth Self-Connect
Our platform links passengers beyond the Asteria network to other carriers without needing interline agreements. You see one itinerary while we control the network and software.
ConnectSure Protection
If a delay breaks your onward leg, our designed recovery protection is built into the flow — subject to final Conditions of Carriage and operating authority. ConnectSure logic is baked into the flow, turning risk into a protected product.
Founding Team
Ross Kinkade
Systems‑minded airline founder, aviation strategist, software operator.
- Background in urban planning and community development; shifted to aviation strategy at Ricondo.
- Supported many different airports, carriers and stakeholders with air service development.
- Eight years in the Salesforce ecosystem, building data and software systems for operators, bootstrapped a Salesforce Consultancy to seven figures.
- Now focused on designing and running Asteria Air.
Jonathan Rupp
Pilot, ops leader, fleet chief, airline co‑founder.
- Embry‑Riddle trained, with airport ops experience at PHX and ATL.
- 4,000+ flight hours across corporate charter, air ambulance, and fleet ops over 15+ years.
- Former Fleet Chief Pilot, led aircraft recoveries, ops strategy, and pilot teams.
- Brings cockpit and ops leadership into the design of Asteria Air's operation and our advisory work.
Roadmap: Phase 0 to full ecosystem.
Asteria grows through disciplined phases where each milestone validates the next.
Foundation & Atlas MVP (2024–Early 2026)
Status: ✅ Complete and evolving.
- Atlas MVP includes Q400 fleet logic and 16 automated data pipelines, and initial data structure
Pre-Launch Phase (2026–2027)
Target: Further Atlas Evolution & Part 121 Application
- Deepen Atlas development & Pursue FAA Part 121 air carrier certificate via application or acquisition, prepare for air carrier launch.
Charter Service Launch (2027–2028)
Target: Charter revenue by late 2027 or early 2028.
- Achieve Part 121 certification, begin proving, charter runs and deploy initial internal Atlas application.
Scheduled Service Launch (2028–2029)
Target: Scheduled service launch 2028, ramp through 2029.
- Execute Part 121 scheduled routes in Midwest/Great Lakes + PBI using production Atlas modules.
Airline + SaaS Scaling (2029–2031)
Target: 10+ aircraft, first SaaS licensing deals by 2030–2031.
- Expand network and launch internal Asteria subsidiaries via the mature Atlas platform.
Full Ecosystem & Exit (2031+)
Target: Platform maturity and exit readiness by 2032–2033.
- Atlas matures to a full SaaS platform — licensed to regional carriers, charter operators, and aviation startups globally.
Investor thesis: $200M to build the airline + the platform.
We are not just starting an airline. We are building an airline that runs on software we own—and that software is the real asset. Asteria is both an airline and a high-multiple software platform.