Fixed-based operator Lux Air Jet Centers (Booths 4208 and 4600) announced that it recently signed a 25-year lease at Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR), a move that also paves the way for a new, dedicated general aviation terminal and expanded hangar space at the Arizona airfield.

“With the growth of the Phoenix area in general, our customers deserve an executive FBO facility at Goodyear as a gateway to that growth,” said Lux Air managing partner Tim Berger. “Our new lease is the first step in creating that space. We're pleased to invest much-needed FBO development at the airport.”

According to Lux Air, the $10 million capital improvement project will bring more than 36,000 sq ft of new hangar space and 20,000 sq ft of office space to the southwestern Phoenix facility. “The city has been great to work with,” Berger added, “and we look forward to beginning our construction project and serving the growing aviation market in Phoenix.”

Originally established as an aircraft delivery center and a training facility for carrier-based U.S. Navy pilots during World War II, the former Naval Air Field (later Naval Air Station) Litchfield Park was purchased by the city of Phoenix in July 1968 to serve as a reliever field for Sky Harbor International Airport. Lux Air general manager Ryan Reeves noted that background allows Goodyear to compare favorably with other established GA airports in the Valley of the Sun.

“The airport infrastructure itself is of the highest quality and regularly supports aircraft as large as a Boeing 747,” he added. “This lease allows Lux Air Jet Centers to create a new purpose-built FBO with adjoining hangar space for business and general aviation–the first of its kind in the airport’s 74-year history.” Construction on the new terminal is slated to begin next year.