February 3, 2025
Aircraft management and charter operator George J. Priester Aviation is marking 80 years and three generations of family ownership.
Chicago-based private jet management and charter operator George J. Priester Aviation is marking its 80th anniversary.
The company was founded in 1945 as a flight training school.
Chairman Andy Priester says, “My grandfather, George, was an aviation pioneer. He saw the immense value that air travel would have for businesses, communities, and individuals.”
The company now includes Priester Aviation, Hill Private Aviation, and Mayo Aviation.
Priester adds, “His vision still drives us 80 years later, and each of our clients feels his impact when they entrust us to provide our aviation solutions.”
He notes, “We continue to prioritize fostering customer-focused local relationships that enhance our global operations.”
Before founding George J. Priester Aviation, the elder Priester was a pilot.
He founded the company as a flight training school for military veterans at Palwaukee Airport, Illinois.
More than 5,000 pilots have trained at the school.
Priester bought the underdeveloped airport in 1953 to start an FBO, and, along with his son, Charlie, he transformed PWK into a business aviation hub.
From 1953 to 1986, they expanded the airport from five employees on 108 acres and gravel runways to 200 employees on 300 acres with five expansive paved runways.
PWK grew from hosting around 60 aircraft to more than 400, becoming the busiest privately owned airport in the world.
PWK is the nation’s 24th-busiest airport for private jets.
The company sold the airport to its neighboring communities in 1986.
It sold the FBO 2001 to focus its growth on jet charter and aircraft management.
Andy Priester stepped into leadership of the family business in 2013 as a third-generation owner.
Under its current management, the company has expanded with the acquisitions of Mayo Aviation in Colorado and Hill Private in George, giving it nationwide scope.
Priester added, “Eighty years is an incredible milestone for anything, especially in an industry that has changed so much. We are extremely grateful for the countless opportunities we’ve had to serve our clients, our friends.”
Last year, the company launched its 1945 Card jet card.
Find the perfect solution for your private aviation needs
Save Time. Buy Confidently.
Receive an apples-to-apples comparison of programs that meet your needs from more than 500 jet card and fractional options covering 65 points of differentiation and over 40,000 data points.
