Ground photography of Executive Airshare's Phenom 300 on the ramp at Wheeler Airport downtown Kansas City.
Executive AirShare had a lot to show off Tuesday night at its location at Fort Worth’s Meacham International Airport.
First, the Kansas City-based fractional jet ownership company showed the press and public its new Embraer Phenom 300 jet. The Phenom 300 can carry up to eight passenger and can travel up to 2,000 miles. That works well for Executive AirShare’s market, allowing for nonstop North American city pairs such as Houston to Cancun, Wichita, Kansas to Los Angeles, Oklahoma City to New York, Dallas or Fort Worth to Acapulco, and Kansas City to Grand Cayman. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported this fall that the Phenom 300 is now the most delivered aircraft. It offers industry-leading design, comfort, performance and reliability.
“The Phenom 300 has commercial aircraft DNA,” said Keith Plumb, Executive AirShare’s CEO, when the company acquired the 300 in December. “It perfectly aligns with our vision and what is best for our shareowners – delivering optimal passenger capacity, range for typical trips and our own repair station that maintains the highest reliability and availability.”
The company was not just letting visitors check out a new high-end jet, Executive AirShare was also showing off its new and expanded offices and hanger space at Meacham Airport. Hanger space is now 18,300 square feet, up from 12,000 previously. Office space is now 8,325 square feet, up from 3,500 previously. The company has about 60 employees in Fort Worth out of 190 company-wide.
Based in Kansas City, Executive AirShare operates out of Wichita, Kansas, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Buffalo, N.Y.
While Executive AirShare is improving its space at Meacham, the city is planning to spend money on improvements as well.
Fort Worth’s various city-owned airports are at 100 percent capacity and have businesses on a waiting list, according to Aviation Systems Director Bill Welstead. As a result, the City of Fort Worth is looking to improve its airports with a multimillion-dollar plan over the next five years.
The Fort Worth City Council heard a briefing of a plan June 7 at its regular Pre-Council meeting. Between 2017-2021, the city plans to invest $60.6 million on improvements at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, $27 million at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport and $23.4 million at Fort Worth Spinks Airport. The plans include hangar construction, runway extensions and taxiway rehabilitation among other improvements
The city council is expected to vote on plan June 28. – Samantha Calimbahin contributed to this report.