Robert Salvo Brings Military Precision to Aircraft Management, Maximizing Value and Transparency for Aircraft Owners
Written by Daniel Fusch
For many aircraft owners, the promise of offsetting costs through charter management can often fall short of expectations. Hidden fees, poorly matched flight assignments, excessive maintenance, and a lack of transparency can quickly turn what should be a profitable arrangement into a financial burden. The private aviation industry is filled with stories of owners left wondering whether their assets are being managed in their best interest.
This is the environment Robert Salvo has set out to change. With more than 55 years in aviation, spanning roles as a pilot, entrepreneur, and operator, Salvo has witnessed the evolution of charter management from every angle. Now serving as Executive Vice President of Sherpa Air, he leads a team determined to transform the standards of integrity and efficiency in the industry.
“The biggest challenge for many owners is transparency,” Salvo explains. “There are companies that bury clients in fees or overburden their aircraft with flights it wasn’t designed for. That drives up maintenance costs and eats into the revenue owners were promised. At the end of the day, they’re left with far less than they expected.”
Sherpa Air offers an alternative. Instead of pushing the aircraft into a one-size-fits-all plan, Salvo and his team approach each owner individually, customizing solutions that suit both the aircraft and the client’s financial goals. A cornerstone of Sherpa Air’s model is auditing, sending in finance and maintenance experts to evaluate whether owners are being billed fairly, whether flight cycles align with the aircraft’s design, and whether revenue is being maximized.
In some cases, Salvo recalls that audits have often revealed double-billing on inspections running into significant sums. In others, they’ve exposed long-range aircraft being routinely assigned to short-haul flights, accelerating wear without delivering appropriate returns.
By contrast, Sherpa Air works to align utilization with aircraft type, ensuring efficiency and protecting long-term value. “We want owners to know they’re getting the most from their aircraft,” says Salvo. “And if they already are, then we’ll tell them that, too. Integrity has to come first.”
That focus on integrity stems from the company’s roots. Sherpa Air’s parent company is ‘Wounded Warrior-Owned’ with veterans forming the backbone of its leadership and staff. Salvo himself is a veteran, and many of his colleagues come from combat and military service backgrounds.
The company’s operating principles are embedded in precision, discipline, and accountability. “Everything we do is with military precision,” Salvo says. “When one of our aircraft is in the air, we’re tracking it in real time, twenty-four hours a day. Safety, efficiency, and discipline are non-negotiable.”
Salvo’s career history underscores that commitment. He founded and led multiple aviation companies before bringing his expertise to Sherpa Air. “I’ve run businesses, I’m a former airline pilot, a bush pilot from Alaska,” he says. “I mean, I’ve done it all over the years. And these experiences have been very rewarding.”
Sherpa Air may be relatively new to the private charter space, but its foundation is anything but inexperienced. By recruiting from his previous ventures, Salvo has assembled a team with decades of corporate and charter aviation knowledge, ready to serve both individual owners and larger corporate clients.
The company can manage aircraft ranging from small nine-seat light jets to thirty-seat regional carriers, while increasing its focus on the larger private jets that often deliver the large returns for both owners and operators.
To support their goal of managing aircraft across the country, the company recently built a 30,000-square-foot hangar in Georgetown, South Carolina, to house its Part 145 FAA-Approved repair station. Additionally, they’ve built airframe and engine maintenance services along with rapid AOG detection and repair capabilities, aiming to deliver in-house maintenance of the highest regulatory standards.
For Salvo, the mission goes beyond simply building a fleet. It is about restoring trust in an industry where owners too often feel sidelined or exploited. Through tailored management, transparent audits, and veteran-led precision, Sherpa Air positions itself as a partner that protects both the asset and the owner, and operates internationally.
“Our goal is to maximize revenue for aircraft owners while ensuring their aircraft are cared for properly,” Salvo notes. “We’ve seen too many people lose out because they weren’t given clear, honest management. We’re here to fix that.”
For owners seeking assurance that their aircraft is being managed with professionalism, transparency, and integrity, Sherpa Air offers something rare in private aviation: peace of mind backed by decades of experience and the uncompromising standards of veterans who know the meaning of responsibility.
