Software-focused investment firm Thoma Bravo yesterday completed its purchased of portions of Boeing’s Digital Aviation Solutions business for $10.55 billion in cash. The sale included Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways. Thoma Bravo has named the entity Jeppesen ForeFlight, which is now led by former Boeing v-p of Digital Aviation Solutions CEO Brad Surak. Jeppesen Foreflight serves all aviation segments, including commercial, business, military, and general aviation.

ForeFlight was founded in 2007 and took advantage of then-new devices to deliver aeronautical chart display capabilities on Apple iPod Touchs and iPhones. When the iPad was introduced in 2010, ForeFlight quickly became the electronic flight bag (EFB) software of choice, and it has grown into widespread use in business and general aviation, airline, and military cockpits. Jeppesen had developed its own EFB software that also gained a strong following but it never had as much functionality as the ForeFlight app.

Boeing bought ForeFlight in March 2019 and Jeppesen Sanderson in 2000, but the two companies were run essentially separately and their key products were never merged. Jeppesen data is, however, an important part of many ForeFlight products. Just prior to the closing of the sale to Thoma Bravo, Jeppesen announced that by Oct. 31, 2026, it will no longer offer paper charts, signifying the end of an era that began when Elrey Jeppesen started his company in 1934, selling copies of his “little black book” that contained hand-drawn IFR approach procedure charts for airports that he frequented.

According to Surak, “Backed by 90 years of Jeppesen’s gold-standard data and ForeFlight’s relentless spirit of exploration, this combination is building the most unified, intuitive platform in aviation. As we return to independence alongside a leader in software private equity investing, we’re enabled to move faster, think bigger, and innovate.”

Artificial intelligence will be a significant factor in upcoming development, he explained. “AI is the north-star for our multi-year roadmap of integrated solutions as we look to build on our proven heritage and move to new horizons. We have an unmatched history of pioneering—from inventing aviation charts to transforming aeronautical data into digitized pilot support systems—and we’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s possible. Jeppesen ForeFlight is bringing AI to aviation, from the flight deck to the operations control center driving increased operational efficiency and bolstering safety.”

“We are thrilled to complete this transaction and to support Jeppesen ForeFlight as a standalone company with significant growth opportunities ahead,” said Holden Spaht, a managing partner at Thoma Bravo. “The company has been a cornerstone of the aviation industry for more than 90 years, combining deep domain expertise with a culture of innovation. We look forward to helping strengthen that leadership position and leveraging AI to drive the next wave of digital transformation in aviation.”