Desert Jet has broken ground on a ramp extension at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, part of a broader push to grow its hangar space, maintenance operations and local workforce in the Coachella Valley. The company recently finalized an agreement with Riverside County to add 7.5 acres to its airport leasehold, setting up a multi-phase buildout that includes new aircraft parking now and two hangars down the line.
Ground Breaks on New Ramp Space
According to Aviation Week, Desert Jet has begun construction of a ramp extension at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, known by its code KTRM, in Palm Springs-area Thermal. The newly finalized lease agreement with Riverside County provides an additional 7.5 acres, or about 3 hectares, for development, according to Business Airport International. The deal is designed to support growth of Desert Jet Center's fixed-base-operator and aircraft-maintenance services, the outlet reports.
The first phase of construction is expected to add roughly 3.5 acres of new aircraft-parking capacity and should be finished by the end of 2026, per the same account from the industry trade press. Desert Jet CEO Jared Fox said the project will allow the company to increase capacity and enhance its maintenance capabilities at the Thermal location, a goal he described directly in comments carried by Business Airport International: “The expansion will allow us to increase capacity, enhance our maintenance capabilities.”
Two New Hangars Planned, With Conflicting Size Reports
Beyond the initial ramp work, Desert Jet's later construction phases call for two open-span hangars along with passenger and pilot lounges, conference space, hospitality facilities and an on-site maintenance repair station, the article notes. Reports differ on exactly how large those hangars will be: one account describes each structure as just under 30,000 square feet, while a separate report from AIN describes a pair of adjoining 28,000-square-foot hangars. Hoodline could not independently resolve the discrepancy between the two figures.
The buildout adds to a facility that already includes a 32,500-square-foot executive building, per Business Airport International's description of the existing campus. Desert Jet Center operates as an independent FBO at the airport, providing fueling, ground services, aircraft storage and maintenance. Desert Jet Maintenance, meanwhile, functions as an FAA-certified Part 145 repair station handling scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repairs and aircraft-on-ground support.
Workforce Expected to Grow as Facilities Come Online
Desert Jet currently employs 40 full-time staff members at its Thermal operations, with total employment at the campus expected to grow significantly as the new facilities come online, reaching a base of roughly 60 full-time jobs, according to a report from GPS Business Insider. The outlet also ties the expansion to broader shifts in private aviation, noting that the industry has benefited from changes in work patterns, a greater emphasis on time efficiency, demand for personalized travel and a growing population of high-net-worth travelers.
The Coachella Valley expansion follows rising demand from business-aviation operators serving the region, according to Aviation Pros. Desert Jet has also been extending its footprint outside California: the company began managing two heated hangars at Yampa Valley Regional Airport in Hayden, Colorado, in late 2025, per GPS Business Insider's reporting.
How a 2024 Sale Set Up the Expansion
The Thermal buildout traces back to a 2024 restructuring at Desert Jet Holdings, which sold its charter subsidiary to Advanced Air while keeping full ownership and operation of Desert Jet Center and Desert Jet Maintenance. In its own announcement, the company said the sale would let Desert Jet Center accelerate its expansion plan at the Thermal airport and pursue additional FBO acquisitions nationally, a point Desert Jet made explicit in its release on the deal.
On the charter side, Advanced Air has said it is looking to further grow its large jet fleet to strengthen its long-range, worldwide charter capabilities, according to ch-aviation. ch-aviation also reported separately that Desert Jet is undertaking the Thermal expansion as part of a roughly $24 million investment in its FBO and maintenance facilities, with the apron extension expected to enter service by the end of 2026 and two new hangars planned for construction in 2027.
