Desert Jet, an FBO and maintenance provider at California’s Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (KTRM), has signed an agreement with its landlord, Riverside County, to expand its leasehold by 7.5 acres. This will more than double its existing size.

The company, which has been in operation since 2007, has big plans for that additional real estate with a $20 million expansion on tap. Included in the project is 3.5 acres of additional ramp, which is expected to be completed by year-end, followed by 4,000 sq ft of office and VIP lounge space, and two additional 28,000-sq-ft hangars (the location’s second and third).

The first of these additional hangars is expected to break ground early next year, with an eye toward completion by mid-2028. Its adjoining twin will follow thereafter. Both new hangars will be used for aircraft storage and the expansion of Desert Jet’s maintenance operation.

“This agreement represents an important step forward for Desert Jet’s KTRM location and secures our ability to meet demand,” said company CEO Jared Fox. “This expansion will allow us to increase capacity, enhance our maintenance capabilities, and continue delivering the elevated service experience that defines Desert Jet Center.”

Once a stable long-term relationship with an aviation medical examiner (AME) has been established, pilots are reluctant to change. And if a pilot has some medical conditions that take time and creativity on the part of the AME to maintain their medical certification, there is understandable reluctance to make any changes.

When a pilot receives an unexpected letter from their AME’s office, it is opened with trepidation. A dreaded introduction may follow, with wording such as, “After 35 years as an AME, I have made the difficult decision to retire from practice…” The blood having drained from the pilot’s face, the rest of the letter is read without remembering anything but that first line.

The pilot’s first thought is usually, “What about me?” Soon, however, once the shock has worn off, celebratory congratulations and thanks for years of service will be expressed to the retiring AME. In most cases, the AME will help smooth the transition to a new AME for a pilot who has complicated medical issues.

How can a pilot be prepared for a first visit with a new AME? Notice that I used “prepared” in that last sentence. That is the key: be prepared.

After several years of rapid growth and volatility post-pandemic, private aviation is entering a “more stable and mature phase in 2026,” according to a new survey from Altour.

The corporate travel management company points to an increasingly stable environment for the sector, driven by repeat customers harnessing private aviation as a long-term strategy. With a post-pandemic surge now passed, Altour Air private aviation program v-p Kate Scott explained that “private air travel is now being used deliberately as a strategic tool, particularly by business travelers.”

Business users now account for the majority of private jet usage, followed by leisure and family travel, according to the survey results. Altour president Gabe Rizzi said this is “no longer about reacting to disruption” but suggestive of a need to “protect time, productivity, and performance.”

This is underpinned by a growing trend toward short to midrange flights, typically two to four hours in duration, which reinforces private aviation’s role “as an access solution rather than a long-haul luxury.” Nevertheless, Scott believes that while rapid growth is nothing new, users are embracing the “strategic” tool with greater clarity.

Seasonal demand patterns—including peak winter ski season and summer vacation travel periods—remain consistent. In line with elevated overall demand, charter rates remain above pre-pandemic levels, although Altour also cites higher fuel costs, crew shortages, and rising maintenance and insurance expenses as contributory factors.

Republic Jet Center, one of three service providers at Republic Airport (KFRG) on New York’s Long Island, has changed hands in a deal involving SR Aviation Infrastructure (SRAI)—the recently-launched subsidiary of real estate investment and development firm SomeraRoad that is looking to develop a nationwide network of aircraft hangar complexes—and FBO chain Modern Aviation.

Though SRAI purchased Republic Jet, a full-service FBO and formerly the lone independent service provider on the field, it showed no appetite for entering the FBO arena. Instead, it immediately flipped Republic's FBO assets to Modern, which already operates one of the other two facilities at KFRG. The Republic site features a 2,000-sq-ft main terminal, a 1,500-sq-ft satellite terminal on the north side of the field, and more than 60,000 sq ft of hangar space. 

For SRAI, the real prize was Republic Jet’s more than 50 acres of undeveloped leasehold. While the company declined to provide more specific information at this early stage, it plans a multi-phase hangar development at Metro New York-area KFRG with modern amenities and 28-foot hangar door heights designed to accommodate ultra-long-range private jets, injecting needed capacity into a very tight aviation real estate market.

“Farmingdale represents a significant growth milestone for SRAI and marks the expansion of our national portfolio into one of the country’s most dynamic private aviation markets,” said SRAI president Jonathon Reeser.

The National Aviation Hall of Fame has selected AviationStart as a strategic career pathway partner, linking its K-12 aviation STEM curriculum with AviationStart’s scholarship and workforce platform. This collaboration connects NAHF’s classroom-based aviation programs directly to AviationStart’s AI-powered scholarship discovery and career guidance tools, creating what the organizations described as a “seamless bridge from classroom engagement to aviation careers.”

The move comes as the industry faces significant workforce attrition and “one of the most severe aviation workforce shortages in history.” According to the CAE Workforce Forecast cited in the release, 83% of maintenance technicians and nearly half of all pilots are expected to retire within the next decade.

In 2025, NAHF said it reached 6,750 classrooms, supported more than 7,000 educators, and engaged more than 250,000 students through standards-based curriculum and hands-on programs. AviationStart, founded in 2025 by Jamail Larkins, reports 14,000 users in its first seven months, with approximately 2,000 new users joining each month.

“Our partnership with AviationStart represents a powerful extension of the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s mission to inspire the next generation of aviation and aerospace leaders,” said NAHF president and CEO Aimee Maruyama.

Under the agreement, AviationStart’s DreamLaunch Tour will prioritize schools using NAHF’s curriculum. Upcoming 2026 stops include events in Georgia, Texas, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Michigan. AviationStart will also be integrated into NAHF’s education webpage and participate in future student-focused programming.

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