US FBO network Modern Aviation has closed the acquisition of Elliott Aviation's FBO assets and operations at Des Moines International airport in Iowa, bringing its total number of locations to 13.

Modern's new Des Moines FBO operates on a 17 acre leasehold and offers facilities and amenities such as conference rooms and workstations, sleep rooms, crew cars and comfortable lounge areas with approximately 145,000 sq ft of heated hangar space and 20,000 sq ft of office space. Elliott will continue to operate a maintenance, repair and overhaul business on the airfield.

Modern CEO Mark Carmen says: "We are very excited about our new operation in Des Moines, which provides our customers access to our services for the first time in the Midwest. Elliott Aviation has a long history of providing outstanding customer service to its customers through its highly experienced and long tenured employees, all of whom have joined Modern. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Modern Aviation family to our new teammates and customers. We also look forward to partnering with the Des Moines Airport Authority to continue to grow DSM and benefit the local community."

Elliott Aviation president and CEO Greg Sahr adds: "Divesting our Des Moines FBO business to a great partner in Modern Aviation is a win-win for Elliott Aviation, our employees, Modern Aviation and the Des Moines community. While our FBO employees will continue to provide exceptional service at the DSM location under the Modern umbrella, this divestiture will allow Elliott to focus our efforts and investment on growing our MRO business across our geographic footprint."

Modern Aviation also operates at Wilmington, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; San Juan, Puerto Rico; LaGuardia, John F Kennedy, Long Island MacArthur, Republic and Francis S Gabreski airports in New York; and Sacramento Executive, Sacramento International and Sacramento Mather airports in California.

Modern Aviation is a growing company building a national network of premium FBO properties, actively engaged in pursuing additional FBO acquisitions and development opportunities in North America and the Caribbean.

In January 2019 it acquired a Boeing Field FBO, and in October 2021 agreed to purchase Sheltair’s La Guardia, JFK, Westhampton, Republic and Long Island MacArthur airport FBOs. In November it bought Hill Aviation’s Isla Grande facility and agreed to take over Signature Flight Support's FBO operations at Centennial airport in Colorado. In December it closed its acquisition of Hill Aviation, the San Juan, Puerto Rico FBO formerly operated as Million Air San Juan. Then in June this year it acquired three Sacramento-based FBOs from SACjet.