Ocean Aviation broke ground on Wednesday on a new $67 million private aviation campus at Miami Executive Airport, converting 40 acres of previously undeveloped airport land into what the company calls a state-of-the-art hub for corporate and luxury air travel. The project, backed by Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, is expected to generate roughly 2,900 construction jobs and 250 permanent positions once it is up and running.
According to Miami-Dade Aviation Department, the campus is planned to include up to 400,000 square feet of hangar space split between communal and private configurations, along with a fuel farm, a fixed-base operator facility and a 32,000-square-foot common-use taxi lane and ramp that will serve U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The buildout will also include the relocation of the Wings Over Miami Air Museum, which preserves and displays historic aircraft and aviation artifacts while supporting aviation education, per the agency.
A Growing Footprint for Ocean Aviation
Ocean Aviation was established in 2024 through a 40-year, 40-acre ground lease at Miami Executive Airport, the same site now hosting the new campus, according to Corporate Jet Investor. The company has since expanded beyond Miami-Dade: last month it acquired National Jets, a fixed-base operator at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with more than 60 years of history. The outlet reports that National Jets will continue to operate under its established name, with no changes for existing tenants, clients and staff.
Plans for the Fort Lauderdale site call for a large communal hangar, two private hangars, an FBO terminal with executive offices and a new fuel farm, with the expanded facility projected to exceed 150,000 square feet of hangar capacity, the same report notes. Together with the Miami Executive groundbreaking, the moves give Ocean Aviation a presence at both ends of what the article describes as a dual-airport network serving the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro.
Who's Building It, and Who Said What
The Miami Executive project will be delivered through a design-build model led by Lemartec, with Schenkel Shultz serving as the design partner, according to Airport Improvement. A separate account from ConnectCRE offers a conflicting version, reporting that Arquitectonica will design the new aviation campus while Lemartec serves as general contractor.
Romain Grosjean, Ocean Aviation's executive chairman, said the company aims to set new standards for private aviation through exceptional service, thoughtful design and operational excellence, as reported by GazetteXtra. David Chene, managing partner of Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, said the groundbreaking reflects the firm's commitment to building a world-class FBO platform in South Florida. Manny Garcia-Tuñón, group president of Lemartec, said his company is helping bring Ocean Aviation's vision to life.
Part of a Regional Buildout
The Miami Executive campus is intended to serve a growing base of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, corporate flight departments and international private aviation operators, per the same account from Airport Improvement. Miami Executive Airport already serves corporate, recreational, training and government aviation, providing access to South Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys, according to the South Florida Reporter.
The outlet notes that South Florida's general aviation network, spanning Miami-Opa Locka Executive, Miami Executive, Fort Lauderdale Executive, North Perry and Boca Raton Airport, is expanding broadly as demand creates a need for more ground space. A new 27-acre Jet Aviation facility at Miami-Opa Locka Executive is already fully operational, adding 40,000 square feet of hangar space and a 540,000-square-foot ramp, the South Florida Reporter reports.
Similar private aviation investment is happening elsewhere in the state. Aircraft Services Group opened a 30,000-square-foot hangar at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on Oct. 1 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to the Business Observer. That facility, built under a 20-year lease with a 10-year renewal option signed in 2024, also includes 5,000 additional square feet for a lounge, kitchen, conference room and offices, plus a 20,000-gallon fuel farm.
