April 3, 2024
Flexjet’s new terminal will be dedicated for its fractional shareowners, program and jet card members. Dallas Love Field is one of the busiest private aviation airports in the U.S.
When a private jet is not enough, you need a private jet terminal. While FBOs – the industry term for private jet terminals – are a world away from commercial airline terminals, at busy airports during peak times and weather disruptions, yes they can get crowded. Flexjet LLC, today announced the relocation of its Dallas operations to the Braniff Centre, a 26-acre redevelopment project on Dallas Love Field (ICAO: KDAL) creating a private terminal exclusive to its customers..
The company’s new private terminal, maintenance hangar, office space and covered parking garage will stand alongside the TAC Air FBO, retail shops, restaurants, offices, an auto-dealer showroom, entertainment venues and hospitality facilities. Renovations at the historic 1958 Braniff International Airways facility are underway and are expected to be completed by summer 2019.
“At our core, we are an aviation company, and the ability to tie a portion of our future to somewhere that has such historical significance in aviation is a perfect fit for us,” said Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro. “It not only gives us a significant presence at a key airport, it also brings our entire Dallas team together in what will become one of our flagship regional facilities.”
Read: Insider Flexjet’s new Corporate Solutions Program
In partnership with the Texas Historical Commission, the existing Dallas Fort Aerospace building, originally known as the Braniff Airlines Operations and Maintenance Base, will be transformed into more than 200,000 square feet of high hangar space and prime aviation support facilities. The Braniff Centre will make the Dallas Love Field east-side location off Lemmon Avenue a destination for surrounding neighborhoods and Dallas’ sophisticated travelers, Flexjet said in its announcement.
Flexjet staff in Richardson, Texas are planning to move into 32,000 square feet of custom-designed office space on that property in November 2018. The company headquarters, including offices and an extensive maintenance facility, is similarly positioned in Cleveland, Ohio on the Cuyahoga County Airport (ICAO: KCGF) and will remain in Cleveland. Prior to Directional Aviation’s acquisition of Flexjet from Bombardier for a reported $195 million in 2013, the operator was based in Richardson.
The Dallas private terminal, exclusive to Flexjet passenger, is slated to open in June 2019 and will be positioned alongside the new TAC Air FBO, one of the anchors of the Braniff Centre. Greg Arnold, Chairman and CEO of Dallas based TAC (The Arnold Companies) and TAC Air shared, “We are excited to welcome Flexjet to the Braniff Centre. Together, our two terminals will create the newest and most historic gateway of business aviation on Dallas Love Field.”
“We are extremely excited to have Flexjet as part of this massive project,” said Randall Reed, CEO of World Class Automotive Group who will move his current Park Cities Lincoln dealership to the Braniff Center as the all-new Planet Lincoln Love Field. The synergy is beyond anything I could have imagined in the seven years that we’ve been working on this project. It will not only preserve this important piece of Dallas history but create wonderful business opportunities that will provide incredible services to our local community.”
In February 2016, Flexjet opened its first private terminal at Naples, Florida (ICAO: KAPF). Staffed exclusively by Flexjet employees, that terminal offers sheltered and shaded parking, conference rooms, private workspaces, Wi-Fi Internet access, just to name a few of the features. Last year, Flexjet opened a private terminal at Westchester County Airport (ICAO: KHPN) – an ideal location for the company’s private terminal in the New York metropolitan area, as it is consistently one of the three busiest airports in the country for Flexjet Owners. Flexjet invested $5 million in renovations at the White Plains, New York facility over 18 months to make it the most state-of-the-art facility on the airport grounds. Last fall, the hangar doors were expanded to accommodate the Gulfstream G650, which Flexjet took delivery of in late 2017. The third private terminal to open was in West Palm Beach, Fla. (ICAO: KPBI), another high traffic location for Flexjet Owners. A private lounge at the FBO in Scottsdale, Ariz. (ICAO: KSDL) is also in the works.
“By moving our Dallas operations to the same campus as our newest private terminal at Dallas Love Field, our employees will have the opportunity to deepen relationships with our Owners, in person, as they pass through for their flights,” said Silvestro. “These enhanced relationships will afford Flexjet Owners with truly personalized, superior service.”
NetJets, which also sells fractional shares, leases and jet cards, operates private terminals at Westchester Country Airport, Palm Beach and Naples in Florida. Jet Linx Aviation, which manages aircraft for owners and sells jet cards from that inventory, offers private terminals in the 14 markets where it operates bases. Earlier this year the company said it planned to expand to New York, Boston, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Jose in Silicon Valley.
You can read our Jet Card Insider report on Flexjet’s jet card programs here.
