✈️ Modern Aviation Bets on the Hamptons; KFOK Summer Business Jet Movements Surge to 2,074
Modern Aviation opened an $18 million FBO complex at Gabreski Airport (Westhampton Beach, KFOK) in eastern Long Island on June 25, 2026, featuring a fully renovated terminal and a brand-new hangar, precisely positioned to capture the Hamptons' peak summer high-end travel season. Avi-Go data shows that KFOK recorded a cumulative 4,884 movements in the first half of 2026 (through June 25), climbing steeply month by month from 346 in January to 1,279 in May and a peak of 2,074 in June, with May and June together accounting for about 69% of the entire period; the leading operators were NetJets (about 801 movements) and Flexjet (about 368 movements). During the same period, the adjacent East Hampton Airport (KHTO), constrained by noise and operational restrictions, recorded only 37 movements—making KFOK about 132 times higher and the sole anchor hub serving the East End.
Impact: Scarce parking and hangar capacity have long been a pain point during the Hamptons' peak season. The new hangar directly fills this gap and will further solidify KFOK's position as the core movement point on the East End. The high-frequency demand from fractional ownership operators such as NetJets and Flexjet provides stable traffic support for the return on FBO investment.
Recommendation: FBO operators should complete hangar slotting and ground handling resource scheduling before the U.S. Independence Day in July 2026 and the summer peak, locking in long-term parking agreements with leading operators such as NetJets and Flexjet. Maintenance service providers can follow the approach of Altus Aerospace in deploying mobile maintenance teams at Gabreski, moving in before the July–August peak season to seize the scarce nearby maintenance window on the East End.