Clay Lacy Aviation (CLY, Van Nuys) has announced it has merged with Connecticut-based aircraft management and charter firm, Key Air (Oxford, CT).

In a statement, Los Angeles-based Clay Lacy Aviation said the consolidation would present several operational benefits including lower operating costs, higher dispatch reliability, greatly expanded support services and access to a nationwide charter fleet.

“Our clients asked us for a larger presence in New York, and this is the first of several strategic steps to expand our East Coast services,” Brian Kirkdoffer, President and CEO of Clay Lacy Aviation, said. “We now have a great team of aviation experts on both coasts, focused on providing the highest levels of safety, service and value in the business aviation industry.”

The company moves forward as Clay Lacy Aviation, representing more than seventy-five aircraft in fifteen locations across the United States.