US-based FBO chain Sheltair Aviation has a new FBO location at Gwinnett County airport northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Gwinnett County selected Sheltair in a competitive process based upon a comprehensive $17 million investment programme to improve and expand the existing facilities that was proposed by the company. The Sheltair network's latest FBO addition will be its second operation in Georgia after it opens on 2 April, 2023.

The family-owned company will hold a 40 year lease on the property, where it plans to improve and expand hangar and office spaces. Gwinnett County airport is also Georgia's third busiest airport, with 119,000 take offs and landings in 2022, a suitable challenge for a well-established company like Sheltair. The existing FBO facilities currently operated by Gwinnett Aero will be transitioning to Sheltair.

"The airport authority and Gwinnett County have expressed their goals to improve the level of service and aesthetics of the properties at the airport, and we heard them loud and clear," says Sheltair vice president of real estate Milo Zonka. "This is an important move for Sheltair into the Atlanta metro area and a large investment commitment to redevelop the significant facilities already onsite, almost 220,000 sq ft of hangars, and design and construction of a new FBO and restaurant/office facility will commence shortly."

In its proposal, Sheltair claimed that the Gwinnett airport is underused. The business intends to market Gwinnett County airport/Briscoe Field as a general aviation business flight destination by leveraging the county's increasing bioscience, technology and manufacturing industries.

"Airports across the country are reckoning with ageing facilities that can still be of service, but they need this partnership and private investment to make it happen," says Zonka. "We embrace this true public-private partnership that makes it a win-win-win for the airport owner, the users and for Sheltair."

"We're really excited," says airport director Matthew Smith. "We think this will give us a gateway to the community, which is what we should be and what we hope we will be."

As an Avfuel-branded FBO, Sheltair at Gwinnett County will offer customers lucrative rewards with AVTRIP points and competitive prices with Avfuel Contract Fuel.