Avflight Expands FBO Operations Into Northern Michigan With First Ground-Up Terminal

Avflight Corporation has opened a new 6,000-square-foot FBO at Cherry Capital Airport (KTVC) in Traverse City, Michigan — the first ground-up terminal the company has ever built. The facility was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 23, 2026, attended by Cherry Capital Airport director and CEO Kevin Klein, airport board members, and Avflight senior leadership. Designed to reflect the character of Northern Michigan, the terminal features exposed wood beams, warm natural finishes, floor-to-ceiling windows, a large gas fireplace, and an enclosed outdoor patio built for year-round use. Customers get access to eight existing hangars capable of accommodating aircraft up to a Gulfstream G700, with additional private, built-to-suit box hangars planned for long-term storage.

For pilots flying into Northern Michigan — a market long defined by seasonal, transient traffic — the new facility represents something more significant than a nicer lounge. It’s a bet that Traverse City can become a base, not just a fuel stop. Here’s what’s actually happening.

What’s in the New Terminal

The 6,000-square-foot (557 square meter) facility is Avflight’s first purpose-built, ground-up FBO terminal in a company history spanning more than 20 years and 15-plus locations.

Design and atmosphere. Exposed wood beams, warm natural finishes, and floor-to-ceiling windows give the terminal a Northern Michigan lodge character rather than the standard glass-and-steel FBO aesthetic. A large gas fireplace anchors the interior. An enclosed outdoor patio extends usable space into shoulder seasons — a meaningful design choice in a region where winter arrives early.

Pilot and passenger amenities:

Pilot lounge
Private sleep rooms
Conference room
Full fueling and line-service operations
Crew cars and rental car coordination
Showers

Hangar access. Customers have access to eight existing hangars that can accommodate aircraft as large as a Gulfstream G700 — the ultra-long-range flagship that entered service in 2024. That capability puts KTVC on the map for heavy business aviation traffic that previously had limited Northern Michigan options.

The local touch. The FBO stocks a freezer full of Moomers ice cream, the Traverse City creamery that Good Morning America once named the best ice cream in America. It’s a small detail, but it’s the kind of thing that shows up repeatedly in pilot reviews of the location — and it’s exactly what “uniquely Northern Michigan” means in practice.

Why the First Ground-Up Terminal Matters

Avflight has operated at Cherry Capital Airport for 12 years, primarily as a fuel-and-go operation. The new terminal changes the company’s posture in the market entirely.

Joe Meszaros, Avflight’s senior vice president of operations, framed the facility’s identity directly: “We’re proud to open the doors to a facility that is uniquely Northern Michigan.”

He also framed the economic argument: “It’s an asset because of the connectivity. Avflight helps facilitate that travel between people, businesses and opportunities in the community, which helps for economic development.”

The distinction between a fuel stop and a base is the strategic core of this investment. A transient aircraft that stops for fuel is a transaction. A based aircraft is a relationship — recurring hangar revenue, maintenance coordination, and a customer who has committed to the airport as a home field.

The planned built-to-suit box hangars are where that thesis gets tested. Avflight says the hangars will offer customizable space for long-term aircraft storage, with direct ramp access and full-service FBO support. The company is positioning them for aircraft owners who want a Northern Michigan base for regional travel and seasonal operations.

The open question is seasonality. Northern Michigan’s aviation demand is famously concentrated in summer — the region quiets considerably after the leaves turn. Dedicated hangars only pay off if owners want a year-round presence. Avflight is betting they will.

The Airport’s Broader Investment Wave

The Avflight terminal is one piece of a larger Cherry Capital Airport buildout.

Kevin Klein, the airport’s director and CEO, tied the FBO to the region’s economic strategy: “This new facility represents a significant investment in the future of air service in our region. Avflight has created a welcoming, high-quality experience that reflects the spirit of Northern Michigan, and we’re proud to partner with them in continuing to enhance our airport and the community it serves.”

Klein has been explicit that the airport’s investments are about more than aviation. “At the end of the day, it’s about economic development and it’s about growing economic development in our community,” he told Spectrum News in June. “We want businesses to come to our community and put down roots in our communities.”

Other projects underway or planned at KTVC:

New economy parking lot. Recently opened with 369 spaces at $11 per day and a complimentary continuous shuttle to the terminal. The addition addressed a genuine capacity problem — the airport ran out of parking during the 2025 spring break travel season.

Proposed aviation-themed hotel. ShoreNorth Development has proposed an 89-room hotel with a rooftop bar, direct terminal access via skybridge, and runway views. Plans include potential expansion to 270 rooms in later phases. The project still requires city approval, with developers targeting a mid-to-late 2027 opening if construction stays on schedule.

Together, the projects reflect an airport positioning itself as regional economic infrastructure rather than a seasonal convenience.

Avflight’s Michigan Expansion

Traverse City is Avflight’s second new Michigan FBO in a single month. The company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which makes the home-state buildout notable.

June 3, 2026 — Detroit. Avflight cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art facility at Coleman A. Young International Airport (KDET), replacing a 1950s-vintage terminal. Detroit Mayor participation at the ceremony underscored the facility’s role in the airport’s ongoing revitalization. Garrett Hain, Avflight’s vice president of finance and treasurer, participated in the June groundbreaking activity at Detroit City Airport.

June 23, 2026 — Traverse City. The Cherry Capital ground-up terminal.

The Michigan expansion follows other recent Avflight facility investments, including a brand-new terminal at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in May 2026.

The Avfuel Network Connection

Avflight Traverse City operates as an Avfuel-branded network location, which brings specific benefits for transient pilots:

AVTRIP rewards. Avfuel’s loyalty program, earning points on fuel purchases redeemable across the network.

Avfuel Contract Fuel. Competitive negotiated pricing for operators with contract fuel agreements.

Avfuel Pro Card. Allows customers to put fuel and non-fuel items on a single transaction — with or without a fuel purchase — avoiding separate processing fees.

Avflight is part of the Avfuel-branded network of 720-plus FBOs globally. For pilots who already fly the Avfuel network, the Traverse City addition extends familiar pricing, rewards, and transaction handling into a market that has historically been underserved for premium FBO services.

Avflight itself operates a network of full-service FBOs across North America and Europe, serving customers ranging from corporate jet traffic and charter operations to freight, cargo, and small general aviation aircraft.

What This Means for Pilots Flying Northern Michigan

For pilots planning trips into the Traverse City area, several practical implications:

Better transient facilities. The pilot lounge, private sleep rooms, conference room, and shower facilities make KTVC a more viable stop for crews on multi-day trips or business travelers working between legs.

Heavy aircraft capability. G700-capable hangar access means larger business aircraft now have a legitimate Northern Michigan option for weather protection and overnight storage.

Basing options coming. If the built-to-suit box hangars materialize as planned, owners who currently base elsewhere and fly into the region seasonally may have a real alternative.

Avfuel network benefits. AVTRIP points, contract fuel pricing, and Pro Card transaction handling all apply.

Regional access. Cherry Capital sits within reach of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Leelanau Peninsula wine region, and the broader Grand Traverse Bay recreation corridor — a meaningful draw for personal and business travel alike.

The Bottom Line

Avflight’s new Cherry Capital Airport FBO is a modest-sized facility with outsized strategic meaning. At 6,000 square feet, it isn’t the largest terminal in business aviation. But as the first ground-up terminal in Avflight’s 20-plus-year history, built in a market the company has served for 12 years, it signals a shift from opportunistic fuel sales to committed regional presence.

Paired with the airport’s parking expansion and the proposed 89-room aviation-themed hotel, the investment suggests Cherry Capital Airport’s leadership sees Northern Michigan aviation as year-round economic infrastructure rather than a summer convenience.

Whether the market supports that thesis will depend on whether aircraft owners choose to base in Traverse City rather than simply visit. The built-to-suit hangars are the test. Avflight is betting the cherry tree has more fruit to bear.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the new Avflight FBO at Cherry Capital Airport open? Avflight celebrated the opening of its new FBO facility at Cherry Capital Airport (KTVC) in Traverse City, Michigan, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 23, 2026. The ceremony was attended by Cherry Capital Airport director and CEO Kevin Klein, airport board members, and Avflight senior leadership.

What amenities does the new Avflight Traverse City FBO offer? The 6,000-square-foot facility features exposed wood beams, warm natural finishes, floor-to-ceiling windows, a large gas fireplace, and an enclosed outdoor patio designed for year-round use. Amenities include a pilot lounge, private sleep rooms, a conference room, full fueling and line services, crew cars, showers, and a freezer stocked with local Moomers ice cream. Customers also have access to eight existing hangars that can accommodate aircraft up to a Gulfstream G700.

What size aircraft can the Cherry Capital Airport hangars accommodate? The eight existing hangars available to Avflight FBO customers at Cherry Capital Airport can accommodate aircraft as large as a Gulfstream G700 — Gulfstream’s ultra-long-range flagship. Avflight has also announced plans to construct additional private, built-to-suit box hangars offering customizable space for long-term aircraft storage with direct ramp access.

Is the Avflight Traverse City FBO part of the Avfuel network? Yes. Avflight Traverse City is an Avfuel-branded network location, giving customers access to AVTRIP rewards, Avfuel Contract Fuel pricing, and the Avfuel Pro Card, which allows fuel and non-fuel items to be combined on a single transaction without separate processing fees. Avflight is part of the Avfuel-branded network of more than 720 FBOs worldwide.

What other developments are happening at Cherry Capital Airport? Beyond the Avflight FBO, Cherry Capital Airport recently opened a new economy parking lot with 369 spaces at $11 per day, served by a complimentary continuous shuttle — addressing a shortage that saw the airport run out of parking during the 2025 spring break season. ShoreNorth Development has also proposed an 89-room aviation-themed hotel featuring a rooftop bar, skybridge access to the terminal, and runway views, with potential expansion to 270 rooms. The hotel project requires city approval and targets a mid-to-late 2027 opening.

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