I had snagged this article from "Aviation Week" and as I was reading it, I kept adding certain words like "TSA" and 3rd world behavior at the airports where manners and high trust behavior was expected but now it is what I see when I go into a democrat run city. I can understand why the well heeled individual would want to avoid "The Great Unwashed". I loved the word like "Frictionless" basically meaning where the passenger ain't hassled by TSA and having to worry about their stuff getting either physically stolen by either TSA or another passenger or some scammer digically skimming their information. So yeah I can understand the attraction. Alas, I'm too cheap, even if I was "loaded" I don't know if I would do this to me being invisible is better than flashing the wealth. Still to me it is a good business model and will fill a niche.
With demand for private jet travel surging, providers such as NetJets, Flexjet and Magellan Jets are making multimillion-dollar investments in their own branded private terminals that mirror the premium service found onboard their aircraft.
At the same time, fixed-base operators (FBO) are investing in passenger lounges, crew rest areas and concierge services, transforming their private aviation facilities from simple refueling stops into luxury venues featuring white-glove amenities, such as hotel-inspired lounges, private meeting rooms, fully stocked bars, concierge services and other features.
For private jet providers, it is about controlling the journey from curb to cabin as they build networks defining their future. For customers, the services eliminate stress and provide peace of mind. For operators, the private terminals offer operational efficiencies—a critical factor, especially during peak travel seasons.
“What’s important is providing as much privacy and discretion as possible but as much of a friction-free environment as we possibly can,” Flexjet Global CEO Andrew Collins tells BCA. “We’re investing at this scale because our owners deserve a consistent, world-class experience no matter where they travel.”
Flexjet has been building up its footprint since opening its first facility in Naples, Florida, in 2016. The fractional ownership provider now operates branded terminals in six U.S. locations. Expansion plans are underway at five additional sites and across Europe— including a nearly 22,600-ft.2 European headquarters in Farnborough, England. Flexjet also partners with FBOs and airports in other locations. For example, it plans to open a private lounge in the main terminal at Milan Linate Airport in Italy. Flexjet makes its selections based on two criteria—it is either a popular traffic spot in a geographic region, or it is a strategic location for clients, Collins says.
At NetJets, the largest fractional ownership provider operates more than 10 exclusive-use private terminals in the U.S. alongside dedicated spaces at more than a dozen other terminals nationwide. Globally, the company maintains more than 50 locations, including 15 NetJets Service Hubs paired with private terminals. Projects are under development in Augusta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas, among other locations. It also is transforming its dedicated terminal at NetJets’ singe busiest airport in Teterboro, New Jersey.
In the days surrounding the annual Masters Tournament in Augusta this year, for example, NetJets operated more than 720 flights to and from the area, up 25% compared to a year ago, the company says.
“Private terminals offer several advantages,” NetJets officials say. Among them, the company says, are “greater privacy and discretion for owners; faster, more effortless arrivals and departures; direct access from vehicle to aircraft; reduced congestion and fewer touchpoints; enhanced operational efficiency and aircraft availability; and, in our exclusive-use terminals specifically, dedicated facilities designed around the NetJets travel experience, accessible only to our owners and their guests.”
On a smaller scale, Magellan Jets, a private aviation company and broker offering on-demand charter, jet cards and other services, opened a dedicated private terminal in 2024 at Laurence G. Hanscom Field near Boston and has plans to grow elsewhere. Magellan also partners with other operators with terminals to create a consistent experience.
“It’s a differentiator for us,” says Anthony Tivnan, founder and president of Magellan Jets. “It’s a way for us to take away the tension and take away the anxiety and the stress from the second they step foot on the airfield.”
The investments follow concentrated, growing demand at high-traffic destinations.
Las Vegas exemplifies the trend, where flight activity for NetJets grew nearly 45% between 2022 and the end of 2025. Flexjet is also targeting Las Vegas—but the company notes that it is “interested in partnering with somebody preexisting there, knows the market, has the right real estate and is on the right side of the strip,” Collins says.
Private terminals differ from a typical FBO.
Unlike traditional FBOs, private terminals focus exclusively on client experience rather than fuel sales, eliminating the chaos clients face hunting for crews on high travel days like Dec. 26. “It’s chaos on some of those peak days,” Tivnan says.
Dual-Purpose Strategy
Private terminal investments offer operational advantages. NetJets and Flexjet each pair their facilities with maintenance and service capabilities to enhance fleet efficiency. Flexjet’s terminals include satellite maintenance hangars for climate-controlled overnight positioning and scheduled maintenance. NetJets employs a similar approach, pairing many of its terminals with service hubs that perform aircraft detailing, stocking and proactive maintenance at the same complex.
“Everything in our business, especially in the back half of the year, it’s just so important to have as much of your fleet available as possible,” Collins says. Flexjet operates 350-360 aircraft and aims to exceed 400 by 2027. The company saw a 20% increase in flying in the first half of 2026.
Evolving Expectations
Client expectations are changing, driven by demographic shifts as the average age drops due in part to the transfer of generational wealth and wealth creation in artificial intelligence and technology.
“We’re seeing more people evolving around experiences as opposed to things and material things,” Collins says. Younger clients and others expect seamless technology integration, prompting Flexjet to equip its fleet with Starlink connectivity.
Magellan’s personalized service extends to unexpected details—one customer praised staff for greeting, walking and onboarding his dog, noting the difference from traditional FBOs where “passengers are not actually known.”
What’s Inside
Flexjet’s facilities feature familiar personnel, complimentary food and beverages, meeting spaces and conference rooms. Flexjet’s new Farnborough location includes a Gulfstream G700 Fuselage Lounge—a recreation of its flagship aircraft, an owners bar and lounge, bespoke sculpture, security screening and other amenities. It also includes a training center, control center and acts as Flexjet’s European headquarters. Its Scottsdale project, a $36 million investment, will feature a 9,000-ft.² terminal with first-of-its-kind private underground parking, a welcome feature in the Arizona heat.
NetJets’ terminals offer on-site personnel, premium interiors, direct ramp access and dedicated planeside parking.
Magellan Jets recently launched a greeting service where representatives meet clients at its terminal and targeted high-traffic FBOs.
“As much as we’re an aviation company, we’re a hospitality company,” says Miranda Hlaing, Magellan Jets director of integrated marketing. It is more than flying a client from Point A to Point B. “We really pride ourselves in offering an end-to-end experience,” Hlaing says. “The service starts before the flight ... We hope it feels a little bit like a safe sanctuary where we can provide, just like our flights, custom catering to our clients.”
FBOs and Upgrades
Major FBO chains are upgrading and adding facilities to meet rising demand, supported by a rise in demand and in high-net-worth travelers used to premium amenities.
Atlantic Aviation is investing $40 million in a four-story terminal renovation at Boca Raton, Florida. In July, Jet Aviation opened its 12th U.S. FBO at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. “We continue to look at our sites and services to ensure we meet the changing requirements of our customers,” says David Best, Jet Aviation senior vice president of regional operations for the Americas.
Challenges
The biggest challenge is deciding how best to serve a given market, Collins says, including the size of space, delivering on expectations and whether to partner or invest alone in the next terminal.
“That’s probably the things that require the most thought,” he said.
Magellan’s Tivnan agrees.
It is a major investment in the brand and client experience, he says. “The investment is solely for what’s in the best interest of the client and how do we create that personalized service. Every journey is personal.”
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