Falcon Executive Aviation has secured commercial certification from the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to launch Helicopters transfer services from its Dubai Helipark facility at Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW).

Announced in a company press release on October 7, 2026, the Helicopter Commercial Registration (HCR) allows the Alex Group Investment subsidiary to provide point-to-point rotorcraft mobility across the Emirates. The certification integrates directly with the company’s Falcon Elite fixed-base operator (FBO) network, enabling rapid ramp-to-ramp transfers for business aviation passengers arriving at the Dubai World Central (DWC) aviation hub.

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Facility specifications and operational capabilities

The newly certified Dubai Helipark is designed to accommodate a wide range of rotorcraft, supporting Performance Class 1, 2, and 3 helicopters. According to the company, the facility operates 24 hours a day by prior reservation and features eight dedicated helicopter parking positions alongside one dedicated maintenance stand.

The infrastructure is built to handle helicopters with a maximum length of 18 metres and a maximum landing weight of 8.3 tonnes. This capacity allows the facility to support medium and super-medium twin-engine models from major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Supported aircraft include the Leonardo AW139, AW169, and AW189, as well as the Airbus H145 and the Bell 412. Light utility helicopters, including the Airbus H125 and H130, alongside the Bell 429 and Bell 505, are also accommodated on the ramp.

Sultan Rashit Shene, Owner and Chairman of Alex Group Investment, stated in the press release that the location at DWC connects helicopter operations with both commercial and business aviation traffic.

“Dubai Helipark gives our clients more choice in how they travel,” Shene said. “Its location at Dubai World Central allows us to connect helicopter operations with both commercial and business aviation, while providing faster access to Dubai and destinations across the UAE.”

Expanding the Falcon aviation portfolio

The GCAA certification, officially issued on October 1, 2026, marks a structural expansion for Falcon Executive Aviation. The company operates as a private aviation group under the umbrella of Alex Group Investment and manages four distinct brands. These include the Falcon Luxe private jet charter fleet, the Falcon Elite FBO network, Falcon Technic for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, and Falcon Flight Support.

The integration of commercial helicopter operations aligns with a broader corporate strategy implemented under Chief Executive Officer Can Şaşmaz, who assumed leadership of the group on December 10, 2024. By adding rotorcraft capabilities, the company aims to capture growing demand for premium, time-saving transfers among ultra-high-net-worth individuals navigating heavy ground traffic in the UAE.

Regional infrastructure and future development

The launch of commercial helicopter services at DWC coincides with the ongoing expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. As aviation operations increasingly shift from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Dubai South, the DWC hub is handling a larger share of the region’s business and VIP aviation traffic. Falcon noted that the Dubai Helipark is also designed to support future advanced air mobility (AAM) operations, positioning the infrastructure for the eventual introduction of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Beyond Dubai, Falcon Executive Aviation is expanding its physical footprint in the northern Emirates. On November 19, 2025, the company announced a joint investment partnership with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (OMRK). The project involves the construction of a 1,500-square-meter VVIP terminal and an 8,000-square-meter private jet hangar.

That facility is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2027. It is positioned to serve high-end travelers visiting the emirate, including guests of the upcoming Wynn Al Marjan Island resort development.

Prima Air has secured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 145 certification for its 50,000-square-foot maintenance facility at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR).

Announced in a company press release on October 7, 2026, the certification authorizes the Private jets aviation provider to conduct in-house maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations on large-cabin Gulfstream and Bombardier business aircraft. The regulatory approval allows the company to centralize technical support and reduce aircraft downtime by minimizing the need to reposition jets to third-party maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers.

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Approved airframes and powerplants

The newly certified Burbank facility is approved to perform maintenance on a specific range of ultra-long-range and large-cabin business jets that make up the core of the Prima Air fleet. Approved airframes include the Gulfstream G650ER, G550, GV, and GIV, as well as the Bombardier Global 5000.

In addition to the airframes, the FAA Part 145 certificate covers several specific powerplants. The facility is authorized to service Rolls-Royce BR725A1-12, BR700-710C4-11, BR700-710A2-20, BR700-710A1-10, and TAY 611-8 engines.

Prima Air President and Chief Executive Officer Lina Tullberg described the certification as an important milestone for the company.

“Our objective is to provide aircraft owners and operators with responsive, compliant, and dependable maintenance support. Our Burbank location, dedicated facility, and experienced technical team allow us to support the safe and efficient return of aircraft to service.”

Fleet growth and strategic acquisitions

The push toward vertical integration follows a period of sustained fleet and operational growth for the Los Angeles-based company. Founded in 2019 by Tullberg, Prima Air significantly expanded its market presence in late 2022 through the acquisition of Pegasus Elite Aviation, a major FAA Part 135 charter operator.

The combined entity now manages a diverse charter and management fleet. According to company statements, the fleet includes a Boeing 737, two Gulfstream G650s, ten Gulfstream GV and GIV jets, and a Bombardier Global 5000.

Operating under the Prima Air Group umbrella, Pegasus Elite Aviation has recorded substantial increases in charter demand. In September 2024, Aerospace Global News reported that the subsidiary experienced a 55.2 percent rise in flight hours over a three-month summer period, underscoring the operational requirement for dedicated, in-house maintenance support to keep aircraft dispatchable.

Global operational footprint

While the new Part 145 certification is centered at the Hollywood Burbank Airport headquarters, Prima Air has spent the last two years expanding its physical footprint across major global business aviation hubs.

In May 2024, the company relocated its East Coast base to a new hangar and office facility at Signature Aviation TEB East at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey. One month prior, in April 2024, Prima Air established an operation center at the Hong Kong Business Aviation Center (HKBAC) to drive charter and management growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

The company also maintains operational bases at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in California, Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF) in Florida, and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

AirPro News analysis

We view the transition from a pure Part 135 charter operator to a vertically integrated company with Part 145 MRO capabilities as a necessary maturation step for growing private aviation firms. By bringing maintenance in-house, operators like Prima Air insulate themselves from ongoing industry-wide supply chain bottlenecks and third-party maintenance facility backlogs. Controlling the maintenance schedule directly supports higher fleet utilization rates, which is the critical metric for sustaining the rapid charter growth the company reported in recent years.

Ocean Aviation officially broke ground on a $67 million fixed-base operator (FBO) and private jets aviation campus at Miami Executive Airport (KTMB) on October 7, 2026.

Backed by alternative investment firm Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, the greenfield development aims to address severe infrastructure constraints in the fast-growing South Florida business aviation market. The company announced the milestone in a press release, marking the start of vertical construction on a 40-acre site secured under a long-term lease agreement with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD).

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Infrastructure expansion at Miami Executive

The new KTMB facility represents a major capital injection into the Miami metropolitan aviation system. The completed campus will feature 400,000 square feet of hangar space. This capacity will be divided between communal storage and private configurations designed to accommodate ultra-high-net-worth individuals, corporate flight departments, and international operators.

A central operational feature of the development is a planned 32,000-square-foot common-use taxi lane and ramp. This dedicated infrastructure will serve U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), facilitating direct international arrivals and clearances at the facility.

The project is being delivered through a design-build model led by construction firm Lemartec, with architectural firm Schenkel Shultz serving as the design partner. Site development also includes the relocation of the Wings Over Miami Air Museum, a move intended to preserve the museum’s connection to South Florida aviation history while integrating it into the modernized airport footprint.

Ocean Aviation Executive Chairman Romain Grosjean described the October 7, 2026 groundbreaking as a defining milestone for the company, stating the project allows them to create a flagship campus built around the specific needs of aircraft owners and flight departments.

David Chene, Managing Partner at Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, noted the start of construction reflects the firm’s conviction in the South Florida market and its commitment to building a global FBO platform.

Building a South Florida network

Ocean Aviation was founded in 2024 to build a premium private aviation services platform in key United States markets. The company is currently anchored in South Florida and chaired by Grosjean, a former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver.

Financial backing for the platform comes from Kennedy Lewis Investment Management. The alternative investment firm, founded in 2017 by David K. Chene and Darren L. Richman, manages approximately $37 billion in assets.

The foundation for the KTMB project was laid in 2024 when Ocean Aviation executed a 40-year ground lease for the 40-acre parcel. While initial industry announcements targeted a September 2026 groundbreaking, the official ceremony and commencement of site work took place on October 7, 2026.

The Miami development is part of a broader regional strategy. On September 14, 2026, Ocean Aviation announced the acquisition of National Jets, an established FBO at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (KFLL). National Jets operates on a 20-acre leasehold and brings a 60-year operating history to the Ocean Aviation portfolio. The acquisition establishes a dual-airport network serving the greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area.

Following the KFLL acquisition, Ocean Aviation plans to immediately commence a phased redevelopment of the Fort Lauderdale site. The company intends to expand the existing 22,000 square feet of hangar capacity to over 150,000 square feet.

“National Jets has built an outstanding reputation over more than six decades at Fort Lauderdale, and we are honoured to carry that legacy forward. This is a market we believe in deeply, and we will invest in the facility, the team and the experience accordingly.”

AirPro News analysis

We view the simultaneous development at KTMB and KFLL as a highly aggressive capacity play in one of the most supply-constrained business aviation markets in the world. South Florida has historically suffered from a severe shortage of hangar space, forcing operators to reposition aircraft or accept sub-optimal basing arrangements. By adding 400,000 square feet at Miami Executive and an additional 128,000 net square feet at Fort Lauderdale, Ocean Aviation is injecting massive new supply into the system.

The backing of a $37 billion asset manager like Kennedy Lewis demonstrates that institutional capital is increasingly willing to fund greenfield aviation infrastructure, rather than simply trading existing FBO leaseholds at high multiples. The inclusion of a dedicated CBP ramp at KTMB also signals a clear strategy to capture high-margin international heavy jet traffic routing through the Caribbean and Latin America, positioning the new campus as a primary port of entry rather than just a parking facility.