Investors take controlling stake in ATD Flight Systems
Future plans include evaluating large-cabin aircraft to support international charter operations.
Regional investor collective Northwest Missouri Aero Group has acquired a controlling stake in ATD Flight Systems, an aircraft charter and pilot training provider based in Kansas City.
The acquisition, completed for an undisclosed sum, marks a major leadership transition for the 30-year-old aviation company. Founder Bill Hays has stepped down after nearly three decades at the helm, while his daughter, Keara Neifach, retains an equity stake and remains in senior management.
The buyer group is led by St. Joseph-based managing partner Lute Atieh and includes a network of local pilots, flight educators, and business operators.
“Bill, Keara and the Hays family have built an extraordinary aviation legacy over the past 30 years,” Atieh said. “We’re honored to work alongside Keara and the ATD team as we build the company’s next chapter together. The history, relationships and operating experience already in place, combined with the varied skills of the new partners, create a strong foundation for thoughtful growth.”
Following the deal, the expanded business operates a combined fleet of 25 aircraft and employs approximately 75 full- and part-time staff. Its footprint spans five locations across the Midwest, including Kansas City, St. Joseph, Clinton, and Columbia in Missouri, alongside Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The merged entity incorporates ATD Air Charter, an FAA Part 135 operator running twin-pilot flights, alongside ATD Aircraft Management, ATD Pilot Training and Atieh’s St. Joseph-based flight school, FlyTech.
ATD currently focuses its charter and management services on Cessna Citation jets, including XLS+ and CJ-series aircraft. The company plans to introduce the single-engine turboprop Pilatus PC-12 to its fleet shortly to improve access to regional and short-runway airfields.
Future plans include evaluating large-cabin aircraft to support international charter operations.
Alongside charter operations, the company is expanding its educational division. Holding FAA examining authority for select courses, ATD conducts Part 141 and Part 61 flight instruction, including collegiate partnerships with Moberly Area Community College and Iowa’s Coe College.
