Desert Jet Breaks Ground on Ramp Extension at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, Due by End of 2026
Why It MattersFBO operators building ramp and hangar capacity ahead of demand reflects how fixed-base economics depend on securing scarce airport land and apron space early, with hangar construction sequenced behind ramp work.
What happened
Desert Jet has broken ground on a ramp extension at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (KTRM) in the Coachella Valley, California. The expanded space is expected to be in service by the end of 2026. The project adds ramp capacity for aircraft operations at an airport that serves business and general aviation across the valley.
Once the ramp extension is complete, construction of two additional hangars is planned as part of Desert Jet's continued development at KTRM. The ramp extension follows years of planning and preparation, and Desert Jet describes it as a long-term investment in aviation infrastructure at the airport.
Jared Fox, CEO of Desert Jet, said: "Breaking ground on this expansion marks an exciting milestone for Desert Jet and the continued growth of KTRM." He said the company has made a significant commitment to the airport because it believes in its future and its growing importance to business aviation and the Coachella Valley, and described the expansion as a step in a long-term vision to develop aviation facilities that support customers, attract new business and contribute to regional economic growth.
Desert Jet Center is an independent FBO at KTRM and has been recognized as the top-rated FBO in the Palm Springs area. The company also operates an FAA Part 145 repair station providing maintenance, repair and AOG support throughout southern California, and manages two 28,800 sq ft (2,676 sq m) hangars at Yampa Valley Regional Airport (KHDN) in Hayden, Colorado.
Industry impact & what to watch
Ramp space is the constraint that sets how many visiting aircraft an FBO can handle at once, and it is usually the first asset to be added before hangars. Desert Jet's sequencing, with apron expansion first and two hangars afterward, follows that logic: transient and based-aircraft revenue both depend on having somewhere to park and store the aircraft before service lines and hangar leases can grow.
For an independent FBO, committing capital at a single airport also ties its performance to that field's traffic. Desert Jet's other activities, a Part 145 repair station and hangars at KHDN, spread that exposure across maintenance and a second location, which is a common way independents balance concentrated investment.
The milestone to follow is the end-of-2026 in-service date for the ramp, since the planned hangars are tied to completion of that work.
