Volato Group to rebrand as SOAR AI after Alignment Engine merger

Approximately $1.2 billion of contracted customer demand anchors Ohio AI infrastructure campus; Company pursuing additional customers and expansion opportunities NORTH CANTON, Ohio--()--October 08, 2026-- Volato Group, Inc. (NYSE American: SOAR) (the "Company") today announced that it is unveiling a strategic rebranding of the Company, including changing its corporate name to SOAR AI, Inc., reflecting the Company's transformation into an AI infrastructure and software company following its recently completed merger with Alignment Engine Inc. This comprehensive rebrand also includes a new corporate logo and a fresh visual identity. The name SOAR, Sovereign AI Resources, reflects the strategy and vision behind the company's new identity. The strategy is centered on developing AI infrastructure that provides customers greater control over their data, models and computing environments while working with host communities to responsibly develop the power, water and industrial resources required to support AI infrastructure. The Company currently expects the corporate name change to become effective on October 19, 2026, subject to applicable regulatory and stock exchange requirements. Trading under the new name, SOAR AI, Inc., is expected to begin on the NYSE American on October 20, 2026. The Company's common stock will continue trading under its existing ticker symbol, "SOAR", and the CUSIP number for the common stock is not expected to change, although the Company will provide further information if any change is required. The name change does not require any action by existing stockholders. Management believes that the SOAR AI identity reflects the Company's post-merger business, centered on AI infrastructure and complemented by AI-powered software platforms. "The SOAR AI identity better represents the company we are building today and where we are going," said Chris Ensey, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "SOAR stands for Sovereign AI Resources and reflects our strategy of giving customers greater control over their AI infrastructure while working responsibly with the communities where we operate. We are actively constructing AI infrastructure in Ohio, have secured $1.2 billion of contracted customer demand, and are pursuing additional customers for our available and planned capacity. At the same time, we are evaluating additional data center opportunities in the United States and internationally. The SOAR AI name brings these initiatives together under an identity that reflects our long-term strategy." Building AI Infrastructure at Scale The Company is actively constructing an AI infrastructure campus in Ohio designed to support artificial intelligence, machine learning and high-performance computing workloads. The initial phase includes data center infrastructure, power and cooling systems, high-density AMD GPU compute and high-performance networking. In September 2026, the Company entered into a master services agreement and two f