Private aircraft tied down on the tarmac wait for hangar space at South Valley Regional Airport. This year, new fixed-base operator SkyShare will begin construction on 50 new T-hangars to help alleviate the shortage of indoor aircraft storage.
For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Salt Lake City Department of Airports has someone besides itself to run West Jordan’s South Valley Regional Airport (SVR). The department has signed a long-term agreement with Utah-based SkyShare to become the fixed-base operator (FBO) at the facility, long known as Airport No. 2. SkyShare took over operations at the field on April 1.
The airport, in operation since the early days of World War II, is located about 10 miles south of Salt Lake City International Airport and serves as a general aviation reliever for the big airport. It has a 5,862-foot runway capable of accommodating a wide range of aircraft, including mid-size jets. SVR supports business, recreational, flight training and charter aviation, with significant Utah Army National Guard helicopter activity.
SLC Department of Airports (SLCDA) has run the airport since failing to reach an agreement for a continuing FBO contract with Leading Edge Aviation in 2016.
Utah company SkyShare has become the new fixed-base operator at South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan.
In addition to the international airport and SVR, SLCDA owns the Tooele Valley Airport and will continue to staff its FBO functions.
Under the new agreement with the SLCDA, SkyShare will operate the airport’s full-service FBO and oversee hangar and office leasing and development across approximately 650,000 square feet of property, including existing T-hangars, community hangar space and office facilities. The new executive FBO services include Jet A and AvGas fueling, ground power, lavatory services, overnight hangar options, maintenance support and “white glove” concierge services for passengers and pilots.
SkyShare, which began as a fractional aircraft ownership and aircraft brokerage company, has other airport operations, notably at Weber County’s Ogden-Hinckley Airport; Scottsdale Airport in Arizona; and Marin County Airport in Novato, California.
But perhaps more important than ground operations to aircraft owners who use South Valley Regional, SkyShare has plans to get started on long-awaited and long-promised upgrades to the airport, including addressing a critical, long-standing lack of adequate hangar space. Demand for hangars significantly exceeds supply, with some aircraft owners waiting more than four years for availability.
To meet that demand for hangars, SkyShare plans to begin construction this year on 50 new T-hangars and a large community box hangar, with additional phases of construction to follow. The airport property also has room to extend the runway, an improvement that has been under discussion for many years.
“Our goal is to eliminate long waitlists and create real access,” said Cory Bengtzen, founder and CEO of SkyShare.
“We welcome SkyShare as the new FBO operator at SVR and look forward to their ability to bring additional hangar capacity to the airport,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director of Salt Lake City Department of Airports. “SVR is a diamond in the rough with an incredible potential for future growth and development.”
“South Valley Regional isn’t just another airport to me,” said Bengtzen. “It’s where I learned to fly and earned my private pilot certificate more than 20 years ago. It’s where I kept my first airplane. Being part of its future is incredibly meaningful. This truly feels like coming home.”
Bengtzen said SkyShare will also complete a full remodel of the FBO facility, with a focus on elevating the overall customer experience.
“At SkyShare, everything comes back to taking care of the customer,” he said. “You will see that in how we operate, how we communicate and how we invest in this airport.”
Rebranding and renovations are expected to begin soon, with a grand opening planned for this fall, Bengtzen added.
Day-to-day operations at SVR will be led by Jared Esselman, an aviation veteran with experience at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and as director of the Utah Division of Aeronautics.
“SVR is an essential part of Utah’s aviation system,” said Esselman. “This airport has the potential to be a true gem in the Salt Lake Valley and presents SkyShare with an opportunity to improve the experience for pilots and tenants and build an airport that better serves the local community as a whole.”
“SkyShare’s expansion into South Valley Regional Airport reflects its continued growth and commitment to delivering fully integrated aviation solutions, including fractional ownership, charter, brokerage, aircraft management and FBO services,” the firm said in a statement about the new contract.