South Florida's Sky-High Gambit: The Race for Private Aviation Dominance

MIAMI, FL – September 14, 2026

A major new force is reshaping the skies over South Florida. Ocean Aviation, a premium private aviation platform launched in 2024 with the formidable backing of Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, has executed a bold two-pronged strategy to capture the region's booming market for elite air travel. Through the strategic acquisition of a legacy operator and an ambitious ground-up development, the company is positioning itself not just to compete, but to define the next era of luxury aviation infrastructure in one of the world's most critical private jet corridors.

The firm's latest move is the acquisition of National Jets, a fixed-base operator (FBO) with a 60-year history at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (KFLL). This follows its initial splash: securing a 40-year lease for a 40-acre greenfield development at Miami Executive Airport (KTMB). Together, these assets create a powerful dual-airport network aimed squarely at the ultra-high-net-worth individuals, corporate flight departments, and international operators flocking to the Miami–Fort Lauderdale metroplex. It’s a high-stakes play built on the conviction that in South Florida, the demand for premium aviation services is only just beginning to take flight.

The Race for Premium Skies: An Aviation Arms Race

South Florida has solidified its status as a global magnet for wealth, and its private aviation market has expanded in lockstep, experiencing double-digit growth in recent years. This surge has created a critical bottleneck: a lack of sufficient, modern hangar space and state-of-the-art FBO facilities capable of accommodating the latest generation of large-cabin business jets and the exacting standards of their owners.

Ocean Aviation's strategy directly addresses this supply-demand imbalance. The acquisition of National Jets at KFLL provides an immediate, proven operational base. While the National Jets name and team will remain to ensure continuity, Ocean Aviation is launching a massive redevelopment that will expand the facility's hangar capacity from 22,000 square feet to over 150,000 square feet—a more than six-fold increase. This move secures a strategic foothold at an airport that already ranks among the top 15 in the U.S. for general aviation fuel volume, ensuring access to a high-traffic, established market.

“National Jets has built an outstanding reputation over more than six decades at Fort Lauderdale, and we are honored to carry that legacy forward,” said Romain Grosjean, Chairman of Ocean Aviation. “This is a market we believe in deeply, and we will invest in the facility, the team, and the experience accordingly.”

Simultaneously, the company is creating a flagship FBO from scratch at Miami Executive Airport. The $67.2 million project, which broke ground on September 9, is staggering in scale. The planned 400,000 square feet of hangar space, premium terminal, and dedicated fuel farm are designed to set a new benchmark for FBOs in the southeastern United States. Crucially, the KTMB development includes a 32,000-square-foot ramp and taxi lane dedicated to serving U.S. Customs and Border Protection, streamlining the process for international arrivals and positioning the airport as a premier gateway. The project thoughtfully incorporates community elements as well, providing a new home for the Wings Over Miami Air Museum.

This two-airport network gives Ocean Aviation a unique competitive advantage in a crowded field that includes major players at Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) and Miami-Opa Locka (OPF). By operating at both a major commercial airport (KFLL) and a key reliever airport (KTMB), the company can cater to a wider spectrum of clients, from those seeking proximity to Fort Lauderdale's commercial connections to those who prioritize the privacy and efficiency of a dedicated executive airport.

The Investor's Playbook: Why Private Capital is Fueling FBOs

The financial muscle behind this ambitious expansion is Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, an alternative investment firm founded in 2017. With a reported $37 billion in assets under management, the firm specializes in providing flexible capital to businesses navigating pivotal transformations. Its investment in Ocean Aviation is a textbook example of a larger trend: private capital flowing into specialized, high-demand infrastructure assets.

FBOs are no longer just service stations for jets; they are complex real estate and hospitality assets that offer stable, long-term returns, especially in supply-constrained markets like South Florida. For investors like Kennedy Lewis, building a platform of modern FBOs represents a bet on the enduring growth of global wealth and the corresponding need for premium infrastructure to support it. Industry analysts note that investor appetite for general aviation is highest when tied to customs-ready international traffic and significant hangar demand—two boxes Ocean Aviation's strategy emphatically checks.

“This acquisition reflects our conviction in the South Florida market and our commitment to building Ocean Aviation into the preeminent premium FBO platform in the region,” stated David Chene, Managing Partner at Kennedy Lewis. “Kennedy Lewis was founded to provide flexible capital solutions to companies at pivotal moments, and Ocean Aviation exemplifies that mission.”

This isn't the firm's first venture into the skies. In 2021, it co-launched a $1.5 billion aircraft leasing platform, KLA Aviation Finance, signaling a deep and strategic interest in the broader aviation sector. By backing Ocean Aviation, Kennedy Lewis is not just funding a pair of construction projects; it is building a vertically integrated platform designed to capture value across the private aviation experience, from landing to long-term hangarage.

Remaking the Tarmac: Airport Evolution and Economic Impact

Ocean Aviation’s developments represent more than just new buildings; they are a catalyst for the evolution of two of South Florida's key airports. The projects promise to modernize infrastructure, alleviate congestion, and enhance the region’s capacity to handle the growing volume of private air traffic. These “21st-century FBOs” are purpose-built to deliver a level of service and precision that today’s aircraft owners and corporate flight departments demand.

The economic ripple effects for Miami-Dade and Broward counties are expected to be substantial. The state of Florida's general aviation sector is already a powerful economic engine, supporting over 106,000 jobs and generating a $13.6 billion economic impact in 2022. On a local level, an asset like Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport contributes an estimated $37.5 billion annually to the regional economy. Ocean Aviation’s projects will add to these figures by creating hundreds of construction jobs in the short term and skilled, permanent positions in aviation services, management, and maintenance in the long term.

As stated by David Chene, these investments are about building “lasting infrastructure in supply-constrained, high-growth markets” that will “drive job creation and economic growth across South Florida for decades to come.” By partnering with Miami-Dade and Broward counties, Ocean Aviation is embedding itself into the region's long-term economic development fabric, helping to solidify its identity as a global “megaregion” and a premier destination for business and capital.