Few names in aviation carry as much weight as Jeppesen and ForeFlight. One drew the first professional approach charts nearly a century ago; the other put a full electronic flight bag in your flight bag. Now both sit inside a single company — Jeppesen ForeFlight — and the last year has brought some of the biggest changes to hit these brands in a generation. New ownership, a new distribution model, and new pricing rules are reshaping how pilots buy the charts, apps, and training materials they rely on every day.
If you fly with a Jepp chart, a ForeFlight subscription, or a shelf of training kits, these shifts reach all the way to your wallet. Here's a clear, no-spin breakdown of what happened, what's changing at the register, and how to make sure you're still getting real value — not just a familiar logo — the next time you restock your flight bag.
Jeppesen ForeFlight unites two of aviation's most trusted names under one new, independent company.
Boeing sold Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways to private-equity firm Thoma Bravo for $10.55 billion.
The deal closed in November 2025, with CEO Brad Surak now leading the standalone company.
A new master distributor now handles Jeppesen ForeFlight education products, changing how many training materials reach retailers.
MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) pricing is standardizing advertised prices — so price alone no longer separates sellers.
Under MAP, service, selection, and expertise are what make a retailer worth choosing.
Pilots HQ's 110% Price Match Guarantee keeps you covered against below-MAP violations and helps keep pricing fair.
For years, both Jeppesen and ForeFlight lived under Boeing. That chapter is over. In April 2025, Boeing agreed to sell its Digital Aviation Solutions assets — Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways — to the private-equity firm Thoma Bravo, and the deal closed on November 3, 2025. The four brands were folded into one standalone company now called Jeppesen ForeFlight, headquartered in Denver and San Francisco and led by CEO Brad Surak, who previously ran Boeing's digital aviation business. Read the official launch details straight from the source: Official Jeppesen ForeFlight brand launch announcement.
The price tag was steep. Industry outlets reported the $10.55 billion sale as one of the largest private-equity carve-outs the aviation world has ever seen. Thoma Bravo has signaled it wants to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, tighter integration between Jeppesen data and ForeFlight software, and possible future acquisitions.
In short, Jeppesen ForeFlight is no longer a division inside a jet manufacturer — it's a focused software-and-data company with new owners and new priorities. Independence has already brought some turbulence, including a round of layoffs in early 2026 as the company streamlined operations. For pilots, the headline is simple: the brand you trust now answers to a different boss.
New Distribution and Pricing Under Jeppesen ForeFlight
Ownership isn't the only thing changing. How — and where — you buy Jeppesen ForeFlight products is shifting too, and that reshuffle is starting to reach the shelves every day pilots shop from.
Two changes stand out for anyone buying charts, training materials, or pilot supplies:
A new distribution model - Jeppesen ForeFlight has designated a master distributor for its education product line, meaning many training kits and student materials now flow through a single primary channel before reaching individual retailers and pilots.
Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) pricing - Jeppesen ForeFlight is moving to a MAP structure on its products. MAP sets the lowest price a retailer is allowed to *advertise* — it doesn't dictate the final checkout price, but it does mean the sticker price you see will look far more uniform from store to store.
More consistency across sellers - Whether you shop online or in a store, advertised prices on Jeppesen ForeFlight gear will increasingly line up, removing the wild swings that used to reward endless comparison shopping.
Together, these moves tighten the company's control over its brand and its pricing. For pilots, the practical effect is that the days of hunting for a rogue deep-discount listing on a Jeppesen kit are largely ending. When every retailer advertises the same number, the real question shifts from "who's cheapest?" to "who's actually worth buying from?"
What MAP Pricing Means When You Shop
MAP pricing sounds like industry jargon, but its impact on your wallet is straightforward. A MAP policy sets a floor on the advertised price of a product — the number a retailer can publish in an ad, on a product page, or in an email. It's legal in the U.S. and increasingly common across premium brands, from electronics to musical instruments. And importantly, MAP governs the *advertised* price, not necessarily the final sale price, so retailers can still deliver value in other ways.
Here's the upside for pilots: when advertised prices are standardized, price alone stops being the deciding factor. That puts the spotlight back on the things that actually make a purchase worthwhile:
Service and support — real humans who fly, wrench, and know the products.
Selection — a deep catalog so you can outfit your whole flight bag in one place.
Fast, reliable fulfillment — your gear when you need it, not two weeks later.
Expertise across the whole aviation community — not just pilots, but A&P mechanics, avionics techs, line service crews, and enthusiasts.
In a MAP world, the smartest move isn't chasing a discount that no longer exists — it's choosing a retailer that earns your business on service and trust. That's exactly where a full-service aviation supplier should shine.
And if someone breaks the rules, you're still covered. If you ever spot an eligible Jeppesen ForeFlight item advertised below its Minimum Advertised Price at another established U.S. retailer, that's a MAP violation — and our 110% Price Match Guarantee is built for exactly that moment. Send us the evidence, and on qualifying, badge-eligible products we'll refund 110% of the difference in store credit, so you're never penalized for shopping with a dealer that plays by the rules. We also pass verified violations along to the manufacturer, helping keep pricing fair across the entire aviation community. It's not about undercutting MAP — it's about protecting you and keeping the market honest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did ForeFlight buy Jeppesen?
No. Both Jeppesen and ForeFlight were owned by Boeing. Boeing sold them — along with AerData and OzRunways — to private-equity firm Thoma Bravo in a $10.55 billion deal that closed in November 2025. The brands were merged into one standalone company, Jeppesen ForeFlight.
Who owns Jeppesen ForeFlight now?
The private-equity firm Thoma Bravo. The new company is led by CEO Brad Surak, formerly head of Boeing's Digital Aviation Solutions, and is headquartered in Denver and San Francisco.
What is MAP pricing?
MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Price — the lowest price a retailer is allowed to advertise for a product. It doesn't necessarily control the final checkout price, but it keeps advertised prices consistent across sellers, so you'll see far less variation store to store.
Will MAP pricing make Jeppesen products more expensive?
MAP standardizes advertised prices; it doesn't automatically raise a product's underlying cost. What changes most is consistency — deep-discount advertised listings become rare. Because price looks similar everywhere, factors like service, selection, and support become the real deciders.
Where should I buy Jeppesen ForeFlight products now?
You have choices. With advertised prices leveling out, pick a retailer that offers strong support, a broad aviation catalog, and reliable shipping. A full-service supplier that serves the entire aviation community — not just pilots — gives you the most value under the new pricing rules. And if you ever find an eligible item advertised below MAP elsewhere, our 110% Price Match Guarantee lets you report it, stay covered, and still get the deal — while we help keep pricing fair.
The aviation world keeps changing, and Jeppesen ForeFlight is proof that even the biggest names get shaken up. When advertised prices look the same everywhere, choose the shop that backs every order with real expertise and a catalog built for the whole aviation community. Explore our charts and pilot training kits. Restock with a team that knows aviation inside and out.
The Pilots HQ team has been outfitting the aviation community since 2009, shipping trusted gear from our warehouse in Waterford, Michigan. We're aviation people writing for aviation people — supplying not just pilots, but A&P mechanics, avionics and line service technicians, FBO crews, homebuilders, and enthusiasts across every corner of the field. When we cover industry news like this, we write from the dealer's side of the counter, so you get the practical takeaways that actually affect what you fly with — not just the headlines. Have a question or need a recommendation? Our team is always a call or click away.
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