Premier Private Jets has announced the acquisition of the former Wheels Up FBO at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (KCVG). The deal completed on Tuesday expands the business aviation services group’s network, which now includes three FBOs in the Upper Midwest region, with facilities already established at Dayton International Airport (KDAY) and Oakland County International Airport (KPTK) near Detroit.

The rebranded PremierFBO facility is the only FBO serving local and transient business aircraft operators at Cincinnati’s main airport, and it will likely continue to support Wheels Up’s flights. Now, the site provides an additional support hub for Premier’s own charter fleet of light and midsized jets, boosting capability for dispatching aircraft-on-ground arrangements.

With 50,000 sq ft of space, the hangar and terminal buildings include a spacious lounge area and adjoining offices. The hangar itself can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Gulfstream G650. Outside, a 225,000-sq-ft ramp has space for larger aircraft, such as Boeing 757s that tend to be used by professional sports teams for charter flights.

In January, Premier added an FBO at Dayton when it acquired the former Aviation Sales Incorporated operation, and it has plans to upgrade the facilities there. Eleven months earlier, it acquired a 370,000-sq-ft maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility from Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems at the Ohio airport in February 2024.

In both cases, the company, which is headquartered in Stuart, Florida, resolved to retain the long-serving staff at its new bases, and it said this is its intention for the new KCVG operation as well. In the case of the Stevens acquisition, this approach secured the jobs of 50 MRO professionals, and Premier said that over the past 12 months, it has attracted high numbers of both returning and new customers.

The PremierMRO operation in Dayton specializes in ubiquitous “workhorse” business aircraft models, such as Textron’s King Airs and Citations, as well as the Hawker family of jets, including the Beechjet/Nextant series. Additionally, the company provides advisory services for aircraft buyers, conducting pre-purchase inspections and resolving maintenance issues as required.

Further Expansion Planned

According to Premier’s CEO, Josh Birmingham, the group has further expansion ambitions that could see it acquire more FBOs in both the Upper Midwest and Southeastern U.S. He indicated that Premier is alert to opportunities in large and midsize cities where facilities offer the right combination of ramp space, hangars, terminal buildings and viable leases. The company is attracted to the Upper Midwest, partly because it sees the relatively weak scheduled airline service from that region as an opportunity for private aviation.

“CVG fits with our strategic growth strategy,” he said. “Today, we have an outstanding maintenance organization centered in Dayton and a growing FBO presence. The Premier brand is becoming better known. On the FBO side, customers find both warmth and professionalism, and the facilities and services they need to keep their flight operations running efficiently.”

Premier views its growing network of FBOs as a boost to its charter operations, providing an added inducement to attract members with charter offerings that include a jet card and the Florida Express Jet Club, which focuses on providing lift for travelers moving between multiple homes. Its fleet, which consists of more than a dozen Cessna Citation light jets and Hawker 800 midsize aircraft, also provides supplementary capacity for other charter providers, including Wheels Up.

According to Birmingham, having leaner cost structures than much larger charter flight providers has given Premier a more attractive value proposition for some customers. It prides itself on offering a higher degree of flexibility, with shorter flight call-out times and fewer scheduling restrictions.

At Oakland County International Airport, Premier competes with multiple other FBOs and has found the greater Detroit area to be a fruitful market for charter bookings. In 2021, the company invested in a modernization of the FBO’s lounge and offices, and the site also offers a spacious hangar for transient and based aircraft.

The FBO in Dayton, which competes with one other service provider at the site, was a fairly small and outdated operation alongside the MRO business there. Premier has made a significant investment to modernize and expand facilities, including lounges, offices, and hangars. These now have access to an extensive ramp area, and the facility is now equipped to support airliner-class aircraft.

According to Birmingham, Premier places a high priority on retaining experienced talent and applying strong financial management throughout its business with low debt and stable cash flow. “Premier does not aspire to being the biggest [since] it’s seen others falter with high-growth strategies,” he told AIN. “[Our] strategy is regional and based on superior service in well-chosen locations, plus a value orientation appreciated by all customers.”