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Description of Business
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Description of Business [Abstract]  
Description of Business

Note 1. Description of Business

Organization

Surf Air Mobility Inc. (“Surf Air Mobility,” or the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, is a regional air mobility platform that aims to transform regional flying. The Company currently operates one of the largest commuter airlines in the United States by scheduled departures as well as an expanding on-demand charter marketplace for passengers in the U.S. and globally. The Company’s operations provide scale, distribution and real-world operating data to validate and, eventually, deploy the software and technology offerings it is currently developing to support the modernization of air operations and the adoption of next-generation aircraft.

The Air Mobility business is an established regional air mobility platform providing scheduled service and an on-demand charter marketplace to passengers in the U.S. and globally. Current initiatives surrounding the Air Technology business seek to drive an innovative platform developing a proprietary, AI-enhanced aviation software operating system as well as technology and services to enable electrification across the regional air mobility sector.

The Company was incorporated in 2021 and became the ultimate parent of both Surf Air Global Limited (“Surf Air”) and Southern Airways Corporation (“Southern”) in July of 2023 following the Company’s public listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). For 2025, the Company’s combined network served over 300,000 passengers with approximately 62,000 scheduled departures. The Company expects the combination of its legacy networks will continue to provide the basis for its expanded, nationwide regional air mobility platform.

Surf Air Mobility’s predecessor company, Surf Air, was formed in 2016 and, prior to its reorganization into Surf Air Mobility, aimed to expand the category of regional air travel, connecting underutilized regional airports and private terminals to create a “shared private” customer experience and a high frequency “commercial-like” air service, using small turboprop aircraft. Surf Air provided both scheduled routes and on-demand charter flights operated by third parties that operate under Part 135 of Title 14 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (“Part 135”). Surf Air drove the early stages of development of the Company’s current efforts to develop electrified powertrain technology, including the establishment of relationships with key commercial partners who, as a group, the Company believes can deliver novel hardware and software solutions that can make electrified flight possible for operators across the Part 135 industry, starting with the Company’s owned and operated fleet.

Liquidity and Going Concern

The Company has incurred losses from operations, negative cash flows from operating activities and has a working capital deficit. In addition, the Company is currently in default of certain excise and property taxes as well as certain debt obligations. These tax and debt obligations are classified as current liabilities on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. As discussed in Note 10, Commitments and Contingencies, on May 15, 2018, the Company received a notice of a tax lien filing from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for unpaid federal excise taxes for the quarterly periods from October 2016 through September 2017 in the amount of $1.9 million, including penalties and interest as of the date of the notice. The Company agreed to a payment plan (the “Installment Plan”) whereby the IRS would take no further action and remove such liens at the time such amounts have been paid. In 2019, the Company defaulted on the Installment Plan. Defaulting on the Installment Plan can result in the IRS nullifying such plan, placing the Company in default and taking collection action against the Company for any unpaid balance. The Company is currently in default of these obligations, with a total outstanding federal excise tax liability, including accrued penalties and interest, of $9.9 million included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2026. The Company has also defaulted on its property tax obligations in various California counties in relation to fixed assets, plane usage and aircraft leases. The Company’s total outstanding property tax liability including penalties and interest is approximately $0.9 million as of March 31, 2026. Additionally, Los Angeles County had previously imposed a tax lien on four of the Company’s aircraft due to the late filing of the Company’s 2022 property tax return. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Los Angeles County tax liens were released as the Company finalized remediation of the late filing, inclusive of the completion of county audits, and made payments of $1.0 million on all property taxes due to Los Angeles County that were underlying the prior aircraft liens. As of March 31, 2026, the Company was also in default of the Simple Agreements for Future Equity with Token allocation (“SAFE-T”) note, where the note matured in July 2019 (see Note 7, Financing Arrangements). The SAFE-T note is subordinate to most of the Company’s debt obligations (see Note 7, Financing Arrangements); therefore, the Company cannot pay the outstanding balance prior to paying amounts due under more senior debt obligations. The SAFE-T note had an outstanding principal amount of $0.5 million as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. The going concern assumption contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.

The airline industry and the Company’s operations are cyclical and highly competitive. The Company’s success is largely dependent on the ability to raise debt and equity capital, achieve a high level of aircraft and crew utilization, increase flight services and the number of passengers flown, and continue to expand into regions profitably throughout the United States.

The Company’s prospects and ongoing business activities are subject to the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in new and rapidly evolving markets. Risks and uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations or financial condition include, but are not limited to the ability to (i) raise additional capital (or financing) to fund operating losses, (ii) refinance its current outstanding debt, (iii) maintain efficient aircraft utilization, primarily through the proper utilization of pilots and managing market shortages of maintenance personnel and critical aircraft components, (iv) sustain ongoing operations, (v) attract and maintain customers, (vi) integrate, manage and grow recent acquisitions and new business initiatives, (vii) obtain and maintain relevant regulatory approvals, and (viii) measure and manage risks inherent to the business model.

The Company historically has funded its operations and capital needs primarily through the net proceeds received from the issuance of various debt instruments, convertible securities, related party funding, and preferred and common stock financing arrangements and expects to continue to do so, as available. In particular, as market conditions permit, the Company may raise additional funds through sales of equity (including through the SPA (see Note 8, Share Purchase Agreement and GEM Mandatory Convertible Security) with GEM Global Yield LLC SCS (“GEM”)) or convertible debt, using proceeds (as available) to strengthen the Company’s balance sheet, among other things.

During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company received $12 million in advances under the SPA with GEM, of which $8.3 million had been settled through the issuance of 4,350,412 shares of the Company’s common stock. As of March 31, 2026, the contractual terms allow the Company to make further advances of up to $85.5 million under the SPA. Additionally, the Company has the ability to draw an additional $251.4 million under the SPA, subject to daily volume limitations and GEM’s requirement to hold less than 10% of the fully-diluted shares of the Company. As of March 31, 2026, GEM held 0% of the then fully-diluted shares of the Company. At March 31, 2026, the daily volume limitations under the SPA significantly restricted our ability to take additional draws under the SPA to approximately 8.6 million shares per draw. Additionally, the Company’s ability to draw upon the SPA is contingent on the Company’s common stock being listed on a national exchange.

The Company is currently implementing operational improvements and stringent operating expenses management to improve the profitability of its airline operations. In parallel, the Company is advancing its technology initiatives, including its software technology platform and electrification programs. In addition, the Company continues to evaluate strategies to obtain additional funding for future operations. These strategies may include, but are not limited to, obtaining additional equity financing, issuing additional debt or entering into other financing arrangements, forming joint venture and other partnerships, and restructuring operations to grow revenues and decrease expenses. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in achieving its strategic plans, or that new financing will be available to the Company in a timely manner or on acceptable terms, if at all. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient financing when needed or events or circumstances occur such that the Company does not meet its strategic plans, the Company will be required to take additional measures to conserve liquidity, which could include, but are not necessarily limited to, reducing certain spending, altering or scaling back development plans, including plans to further develop our software technology platforms and to equip our regional airline operations with fully-electric or hybrid-electric aircraft, or reducing funding of capital expenditures, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, cash flows, and ability to achieve its intended business objectives. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.