Looking to address the current hangar shortage in Florida, Corporate Air, a full-service FBO at Vero Beach Regional Airport (KVRB), will break ground this week on the first phase of a major expansion that will nearly triple the facility’s existing aircraft shelter. The company, which began operations at KVRB in 1986, recently negotiated a 40-year lease with the city, including a 13-acre parcel of land with six acres of newly-poured ramp on the east side of the field off Taxiway E at the end of 7,314-foot Runway 30L.
On this plot, opposite the field from its FBO, Corporate Air plans to build six 20,000-sq-ft community hangars with 28-foot-high doors to handle the latest ultra-long-range business jets. Each will have up to 3,000 sq ft of customizable office space and 10 covered parking spaces.
The first pair in the $12 million project is expected to be completed by November, at which point construction will begin on the second pair. The entire expansion is set to wrap up in 2025. Corporate Air president Rodger Pridgeon believes the resulting influx of aircraft will double its fuel sales volume.
This move comes just as the company begins construction on a dedicated U.S. Customs facility that will allow KVRB to receive direct international flights.