J.A. Air Center opens new facility at Aurora Airport

J.A. Air Center has moved into a $9.4 million, 150,000-square-foot facility at the Aurora Airport on Route 30 in Sugar Grove.

The company, which offers small jet charter, rental and sales, aircraft maintenance, and sale and installation of aircraft parts, closed operations last month at the DuPage Airport in West Chicago. The company was founded in 1965 as Joliet Avionics.

The new facility spans four buildings and includes a passenger terminal, a hangar, and 10,000 square feet of office space. There are 80 employees, a ten percent increase over the DuPage operation.

The facility can service pilots and businesses as a one-stop aviation center. "We're trying to make general aviation more like a convenient airline service," said Scott Fank, vice president of sales.

A company could buy a jet from J.A. Air Center and have it maintained at the Aurora facility, as an example.

"And we can get into the smaller airports, like Dubuque," said Thomas Siwek, director of sales and marketing. "We're bringing all-encompassing services under one roof. There are many options for the traveler."

The company is also considering offering a shuttle service to Springfield.

It has added a fleet of 2008 Cessna jets which Fank says feature "the latest in aviation technology." J.A. Air Center also offers pilot training, and some of the Cessnas are built for training with special safety features.

J.A. Air Center also offers on demand charters that can be ready for departure within the hour in case of emergencies.

The new center was funded by a special use facility bond issued by the city of Aurora and backed by J.A. Air Center. Frank said the new location is a big plus.

"Here, we're directly connected to the I-88 corridor," Fank said. "There is not a stoplight between here and downtown Chicago. That was very attractive to us."

Fank likes the convenience to Chicago, but he said a number of local businesses are using the facility and he expects that trend to continue.

Frank said another benefit to moving is to be able to sell fuel. At the DuPage Airport, the fuel concession was controlled by the county.

"J.A. Air is a top-notch organization," said Joe Wolf, a former Sugar Grove trustee who serves as liaison to the Aurora Airport for the Sugar Grove village board. "Having them here will be good for Sugar Grove. It will bring in more business."