Meacham bets on big-jet hangars in a crowded North Texas market

North Texas airports have been in a tight FBO competition for years with hangar space for large-cabin aircraft particularly scarce. Parking and fuel services that caters to that clientele stand to do extremely well.With that in mind, Modern Aviation made its move on June 4, breaking ground on a new hangar complex at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (FTW), which should give the metro area a long overdue capacity boost. Modern Aviation digs in at MeachamModern Aviation is a national PE-backed FBO network that’s only been around since 2018. This project solidifies their presence in FTW, which was established two years ago with their acquisition of American Aero. This new expansion consists of two 39,200-square-foot hangars, each with an attached 4,375-square-foot office, roughly totaling 87,150 square feet. The company says the hangars are designed to accommodate the largest business jets available. The complex is planned to open in early 2027.Relief for a space starved marketLarge-jet owners who operate in the region can anticipate a new option to base their aircraft. In a market where space is so limited, that option can ease the waitlists and premium pricing that come with scarcity.For operators and flight departments, the added transient ramp and hangar capacity will improve handling and smooth out operations. Brokers trying to sell large-cabin jets can point to growing local storage as evidence that the market for large-cabin basing is expanding, which takes some of the worry out of where a buyer would keep the aircraft.Why it mattersOpen the aperture and the bigger story is the competition. North Texas counts Meacham, Addison, Dallas Love Field, and Fort Worth Alliance as worthy competitors courting the same high-value clients. Creating extra hangar capacity with room for large-cabin jets is an easy, albeit pricy, FBO win and Modern Aviation’s project should fall in line within that theory. Whether competing fields respond with their own expansions is worth watching.