72 FUELING May | June 2026 AirportImprovement.com RDG hangar lease in late 2024. And this May, NetJets—a large, high- profile private charter company—signed a 29-year, 11-month ground lease for a parcel of land that includes a 35,000-square- foot hangar. “In my opinion, buying the FBOs was a major factor in obtaining these leases because we’re able to provide the consistent services that these customers need in order to keep their operations here,” Tempesco says. “The turnaround at RDG from 2022 to today has been remarkable,” Heath adds. “You can see that progress in new business coming on board and in existing tenants expanding their operations. “There was a lot of doubt before (about economic development), but now there’s a lot of confidence about the direction the airport is heading and the consistency of its operations.” That confidence was bolstered in 2022 when Berks County reorganized the airport authority to bring it more directly under county administration, effectively making the decision makers for the county the decision makers for the authority. As a result, the airport authority could align the overall business interests of RDG with what was best for the county and its residents, Tempesco says. Positioned for Further Growth The success of RDG’s Reading Aviation underscores the importance of running an airport with a retail mindset, Tempesco says. “Running an airport from a governmental perspective is much different than running an airport like a business,” he explains. “The former requires things like making sure the airport is open and operating safely and meeting certain standards. “But when you get into a retail mindset, you also have to look at things through the lens of value—how you provide value to customers.” Heath agrees, noting that most airports are very good at the fundamentals, such as fueling aircraft and making sure operations are safe. But not many are good at providing great customer service and maximizing revenue so the airport can sustain itself. “As such, it’s really great to see the things that Reading is doing,” he says. “Purchasing the FBOs allows us to execute our vision by controlling our services, our assets and how customers perceive the airport when they visit us,” Tempesco concludes. “And financially, it adds another revenue stream we can continue to improve on. Before, there were limited revenue buckets we could pull from. We now have the flexibility to operate the way we want to operate.” Designed for the Future BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM DESIGN / CONSULTATION / ANALYSIS/ ASSESSMENT / OAR SERVICES www.jsmandassociates.com ■ solutions@jsmairports.com BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM / PASSENGER BOARDING BRIDGE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE Airport Services Maintained for Performance Recent changes are helping the airport control future economic development.
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