On Tuesday, a ribbon cutting was held for Avflight Ogden — formerly Kemp Jet Services — in the Kemp Jet Services building on the south side of the airport. Michigan-based Avflight acquired Kemp and took over operations Dec. 18, 2024.

“We’re actually celebrating our 30th year of operations this year,” Garrett Hain, Avflight’s vice president of finance and treasurer, said during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We’re thrilled to be in Ogden. … We’re just extremely excited about the vision of the airport, Ogden in general and the direction it’s going. Think there’s just a lot of opportunities for us to succeed.”

According to Airport Director Brian Condie, fixed-base operators, or FBOs, fill a vital role for general aviation at airports like Ogden’s.

“They service all of the aircraft — fueling, baggage, putting (the plane) in the hangar, de-icing, (lavatory) service, catering, ground transportation, all of the needs of the traveling public,” he said. “The airport takes care of the airfield, but the airport doesn’t take care of any of the passengers. When the aircraft come in, the fixed-base operator takes care of the passengers, the aircraft, the crew 24/7, 365 days per year.”

Avflight Ogden is Avflight’s 27th FBO across the United States and Canada and also is the lone FBO at Ogden-Hinckley Airport, according to Ogden City spokesman Mike McBride.

Joe Meszaros, Avflight’s vice president of operations, said FBOs play an important role in the community.

“We facilitate connections between aviation businesses and airports, between airports and their communities, and between communities and the rest of the world,” he said. “We are honored and privileged to be here to further that development to greater enhance those connections.”

Mayor Ben Nadolski said Avflight’s arrival is a winning partnership for the city.

“When we choose our partners based on values that we all believe in, it makes for wins like we have today,” he said.

Meszaros told the Standard-Examiner the airport hasn’t been unfamiliar to Avflight.

“The Kemp Jet Center was a long-term Avfuel supplier and Avfuel dealer,” he said. “They purchased their fuel supply and aviation resources from our sister company Avfuel Corp. They had been branded an Avfuel dealer for a number of years, so that relationship had always been there.”

He said Kemp Jet Services staff have been retained at Avflight Ogden.

“They’re part of the Avflight family,” he said. “There’s lots of opportunities for growth within Avflight Ogden, but there’s also opportunities for growth with them throughout the Avflight network in other places we operate.”

Meszaros said there are several opportunities for these employees in other aspects of aviation, such as aviation insurance, marketing, accounting, piloting and flight planning.

“We have a wide range of different employment opportunities, but we’re also looking to grow the services in Ogden to create other employment opportunities within the airport for those employees and new employees as well,” he said.

He said that people using the general aviation element of the airport can expect the same level of service seen at other Avflight locations.

Condie said Avflight is a welcome arrival at the airport.

“I’ve known Avflight and Avfuel for 22 years,” he said. “They’re a very professionally run operation. I’m pleased to have them join the Ogden team.”

He said Avflight helps broaden the airport’s appeal to the wider flying public.

“Avflight is a nationally recognized fixed-base operator,” he said. “The Kemps, while they did a great job, that’s family-owned. There’s not a lot of Kemp facilities around the country. Now, when the pilots become familiar with a fixed-base operator, they’re like, ‘Oh, you have an office in Ogden, or Denver,’ then they’re familiar with the service that they get.”

Condie said the new FBO fits well into the airport’s plans for building up its utility to the community.

“The mayor’s direction is the three pillars — promote and protect local (general aviation), promote commercial air service and promote economic growth,” he said. “This fills that third goal — promote economic growth. It will bring in more traveling public, more visitors and more workers, and potential for operations and maintenance facilities. It’s definitely an economic boon to Northern Utah and to Ogden.”

January is only halfway through and 2025 has already been a busy year for the Ogden-Hinckley Airport. Tuesday’s FBO announcement was just over a week removed from airport and city officials breaking ground on an expansion project for the site’s commercial terminal.

Condie said they’re only getting started on plans for the year.

“Last week we focused on commercial; this week we’re focusing on economic impact and we’re working with the local pilots to revise the land leases to protect the local pilots at the airport,” he said. “We are working on all three pillars to make the airport as sustainable and as safe and secure as possible. We’re well underway.”

Other plans this year include capital projects such as runway repairs, acquiring additional snow-removal equipment, and increasing training and certification of airport staff.