The Kansas City Aviation Department has selected Airside Innovation Missouri LLC to develop the last twenty acres of available land at Kansas City Downtown Airport – Wheeler Field (MKC)
The $55 million development will include a new fixed base operation (FBO) led by Kansas City–based Apex Aero Center, featuring a state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot terminal building and over 150,000 square feet of new hangar, office, and maintenance space designed to serve business, Government and general aviation users. FBOs are often the first point of contact for visitors arriving by air, making them a vital gateway to our city.
“The Downtown Airport is an incredibly important asset to not just the Aviation department but the City as a whole. This development shows the continued growth of MKC and its importance to the city as an economic driver” said Melissa Cooper, Director of Aviation for Kansas City.
“Our experience and success at this airport and several other operations around the region, along with the great service we provide aviators and the strong relationships we maintain with our airport partners and leaders, is a testament to our selection for this exciting new project,” said Kyle Eiserer, Founder of Airside FBO. “Our team’s commitment to excellence and our deep roots in Kansas City aviation are reflected in this project. I’ve dreamed of this for years and am proud to see it coming to fruition to serve the city’s significantly growing demand.”
A highlight of the project is the planned expansion of the Red Tail Academy, a Kansas City–based nonprofit focused on educating and mentoring underrepresented youth in aviation. This partnership underscores the City’s and the development team’s shared commitment to workforce development and community-centric access to high-quality career pathways in the growing aviation industry.
“This project represents a powerful alignment of public, private, and philanthropic partners coming together to create not only world-class aviation facilities, but also meaningful, long-term opportunities for Kansas City youth and the entire community to benefit,” said Erik Murray, CEO of Eastside Innovation.
“By expanding Red Tail’s programs at the Downtown Airport, we’re helping ensure that young people—especially those from communities historically underrepresented in aviation—have a real and direct pathway into rewarding technical, mechanical, and piloting careers,” according to Kerry Gooch, co-founder of Red Tail Academy.
The project is expected to be finished early to mid-2027. The developer plans to break ground as soon as final permitting and regulatory approvals are obtained in 2026.
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About Kansas City Aviation
The Kansas City Airport System is an Enterprise Fund Department of the city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is supported wholly by airport user charges, which fund the administration, promotion, operation and maintenance of the airports in the system. Visit KCairports.com for more information. Find us on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Media with questions may reach out to Jackson Overstreet, Public Information Officer for Aviation at Jackson.Overstreet@kcmo.org.
About Airside Innovation Missouri LLC
Airside Innovation Missouri LLC is a joint venture between Airside FBO (www.airsidefbo.com) and Eastside Innovation (www.eastsideinnovation.com), combining aviation operations expertise with innovative, community-focused real estate development. The firm specializes in developing high-performance aviation campuses that integrate sustainable design and operating principles, workforce and community development, and next-gen innovations that power the future of the industry.
