8 Reasons Aviation Companies Choose Northern Kentucky and CVG

Aviation companies evaluating where to locate, expand, or build their next maintenance, cargo, or manufacturing operation face a crowded field of Midwest options. Northern Kentucky makes the decision straightforward.

CVG Airport ranks as the 6th largest cargo airport in North America and 12th in the world, home to Amazon Air’s primary U.S. hub, DHL’s Global Super Hub for the Americas, and a major UPS hub. In 2025, CVG served 8.9 million passengers, while anchoring an extensive freight network. Together, CVG generates a $10.5 billion annual economic impact for the region. And per a June 2025 Cincinnati Regional Chamber briefing, MRO operations in the region are projected to grow by 32%, making the aviation ecosystem around CVG one of the fastest-expanding in the country.

The eight reasons below explain why aviation companies keep choosing this region, each backed by recent investment decisions and verifiable data.

Northern Kentucky Aviation: By the Numbers

1. CVG Is One of the World’s Great Cargo Airports, and It’s Still Growing

At the center of NKY’s aviation story is CVG Airport. CVG ranks as the 6th largest cargo airport in North America and 12th in the world, and per BE NKY’s supply chain sector page, the airport has tripled its cargo volume in the past decade, driven by the simultaneous presence of three of the world’s most significant air freight operations on a single campus.

Amazon Air built its primary U.S. hub at CVG, a 3,000,000 sq. ft. sorting facility representing a $1.49 billion investment. DHL operates its Global Super Hub for the Americas at CVG, the largest of DHL’s three global hubs alongside Leipzig/Halle and Hong Kong. UPS maintains a major hub presence. Together, these three carriers have collectively invested billions at a single airport, a concentration of global freight infrastructure that is essentially unrepeatable at any other Midwest location.

CVG’s growth agenda continues. The CVG Global Logistics Park welcomed its first tenant in 2025: a new 80,000 sq. ft. cargo facility representing a $12 million investment, per Airport Improvement’s January 2025 year-end report. The dedicated Hangar Row MRO development site is in active environmental study. And in March 2026, CVG was named Best Regional Airport in North America at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, a recognition that reinforces the airport’s global standing.

2. MRO Is the Region’s Fastest-Growing Aviation Subcluster

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations are expanding rapidly at CVG, driven directly by the cargo volume of Amazon, DHL, and UPS. A June 2025 Cincinnati Regional Chamber briefing projected 32% MRO growth in the region, one of the highest-growth aviation subclusters in the country.

FEAM AERO

FEAM AERO invested $40.2 million in a new 150,000 sq. ft. three-bay hangar at CVG, completed April 2024, creating nearly 250 full-time positions. The facility serves Amazon Air, UPS, DHL, and major passenger carriers, and FEAM now employs over 550 people at CVG. The full investment details are documented in the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development’s original announcement and the Governor’s grand opening announcement in April 2024.

L2 Aviation

In December 2024, L2 Aviation announced a $12.2 million investment to establish its first Kentucky operation at CVG: a production facility and hangar focused on avionics design, consulting, manufacturing, and engineering, creating 250 jobs. Per the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development’s announcement, L2 COO Tony Bailey cited the support of the state, CVG Airport Authority, and BE NKY as instrumental in the decision.

Epic Flight Academy

Epic Flight Academy invested $7 million to open an FAA-certified aircraft mechanic school directly on CVG’s campus. Per CVG Airport’s announcement, the school trains students to become FAA-certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics, with a direct partnership with FEAM AERO for placement.

DHL Express $292M Maintenance Facility

DHL Express broke ground in October 2024 on a $292 million carbon-neutral maintenance facility at its CVG super-hub, creating 300 jobs, expected to be completed in 2026. The full project details are in the Kentucky Governor’s Office announcement.

“There are going to be over 1,300 aircraft maintenance positions opening in the next three years. 100% of our students in aviation maintenance get placed. There are so many job opportunities here.”

— Doug Bowling, Dean of Engineering Technologies, Cincinnati State as quoted in the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s June 2025 member briefing recap

3. Kentucky’s Aerospace Exports Set a New Record Two Years Running

Kentucky’s aerospace sector is not a regional story; it is a global one. According to a February 2025 announcement by the Kentucky Governor’s Office, aerospace products and parts are the state’s single largest export category, shipping $18.9 billion in products globally in 2024, a 41.8% increase year-over-year. In February 2026, the Governor’s Office announced that the figure grew to nearly $23 billion in 2025, the state’s third consecutive annual export record.

That export momentum flows directly through CVG’s cargo infrastructure. For aviation companies, whether in parts manufacturing, MRO services, avionics, or cargo tech, this means an established, high-volume export corridor with global reach through CVG’s 55+ nonstop destinations, including London Heathrow (British Airways) and Paris CDG (Delta Air Lines).

According to a 2025 Site Selection Magazine feature on Kentucky aerospace, over 100 aerospace-related companies operate in the state, and since 2017, upwards of 50 have announced $1.7 billion in new investment and more than 4,200 new jobs, with major players including Boeing, GE Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Safran operating in the state.

4. An Educated Aviation Workforce and a Pipeline Built to Keep Pace

Aviation companies need more than ramp space; they need technicians, engineers, avionics specialists, and logistics professionals. Northern Kentucky has built one of the most deliberate aviation workforce pipelines in the Midwest, and per a June 2025 Cincinnati Regional Chamber briefing, the results are measurable.

• Cincinnati State’s Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program is growing from 91 students in 2019 to a projected 185 by 2025, with 100% job placement and co-op partnerships with Amazon, DHL, and Delta. A bachelor’s degree in aviation management launches in 2026.
• Per BE NKY’s aerospace sector page, within a 75-mile radius, there are 25 four-year colleges and universities producing over 5,500 engineering graduates annually.
• The Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) offers FAA-certified aviation maintenance courses across multiple campuses.
• Epic Flight Academy‘s CVG campus provides A&P mechanic training with direct employer partnerships on-site.
• The AERO Act, signed into law in 2024, created state-funded aviation scholarships and expanded degree programs at colleges statewide, per the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

Per Site Selection Magazine’s 2025 Kentucky aerospace feature, the industry supports over 20,000 direct jobs statewide, a number growing by the hundreds each year. As BE NKY CEO Lee Crume noted in the L2 Aviation announcement: “With CVG’s successful expansion of passenger and cargo service, there is tremendous opportunity to bring new companies and high-potential careers to Northern Kentucky.”

5. Kentucky’s Incentive Programs Are Specifically Designed for Aviation Operations

Aviation and MRO companies expanding in Northern Kentucky have access to a suite of financial incentives that directly address the capital-intensive nature of aviation operations, hangars, tooling, training, equipment, and facility build-out.

• The Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA) refunds sales and use taxes on equipment purchases and property improvements directly applicable to hangar construction, aircraft servicing tooling, and avionics manufacturing equipment.
• The Kentucky Business Investment (KBI) Program provides tax credits and wage incentives for companies creating new jobs.
• The Bluegrass State Skills Corporation Skills Training Investment Credit offsets upskilling costs as companies adopt new avionics systems and AI-assisted inspection tools.
• AERO Act scholarships provide additional workforce funding specifically for aviation career pathways.

The NKY Port Authority provides site development support, and BE NKY Growth Partnership offers no-cost assistance in navigating available incentives.

6. NKY Sits at the Center of the Midwest Aviation Corridor With Unmatched Multi-Modal Access

CVG’s geographic advantage compounds every other benefit it offers. Located at the intersection of I-71, I-75, and I-275, and per BE NKY’s supply chain overview, positioned within a one-day drive of 54% of the U.S. population, the airport combines air freight reach with road, rail, and waterway access that few locations in the country can match.

According to BE NKY’s logistics technology post, the region is supported by 20 major highways and interstates, 2,600+ miles of railroad, and 1,000+ miles of accessible waterways, giving aviation operations multi-modal options that coastal airports cannot provide. For aviation parts manufacturers and MRO suppliers, incoming materials from global supply chains can arrive via air at CVG and be distributed by road or rail the same day.

CVG’s international passenger connectivity is also growing. CVG’s current route network includes direct flights to London Heathrow (British Airways) and Paris CDG (Delta Air Lines), allowing international aviation executives and MRO clients to reach NKY directly without a connection.

7. The Next Generation of Aviation Is Being Built Here

Northern Kentucky is not only attracting companies that serve today’s fleet, but it is also actively developing infrastructure and partnerships for next-generation aviation technology.

eVTOL and urban air mobility

Per BE NKY’s aviation sector overview, CVG has begun exploring how to incorporate a vertiport into its airport campus forward-looking infrastructure to serve the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft market as companies like Joby Aviation bring commercial products to market.

Next-generation propulsion

Per GE Aerospace’s own documentation, the company is developing a three-stream adaptive cycle engine for next-generation military aircraft from its Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky operations, one of the most significant advances in aviation propulsion in decades, generating regional demand for precision machining, composites manufacturing, and avionics testing.

Aerospace composites and advanced materials

Per BE NKY’s aerospace overview, Zotefoams completed a $20 million+ facility expansion in NKY to develop polymer-based foam solutions for aerospace applications, adding 25 jobs. DESMA USA, the only complete injection molding systems provider in North America, operates in NKY specifically to serve aviation and defense manufacturing. Safran Landing Systems Kentucky, the top manufacturer of aircraft landing and brake systems in the U.S., expanded its NKY facility in 2023.

8. A Track Record of Aviation Investment That De-Risks Your Decision

The most powerful proof point for any company evaluating a new location is what comparable companies have already decided. In Northern Kentucky’s case, the aviation investment record since 2022 is extensive, recent, and diverse.

• Safran Landing Systems: Boone County expansion (2023). Capacity increase for landing and brake system manufacturing, 92 new jobs, per BE NKY.
• Zotefoams: $20M+ facility expansion (2023) Aerospace polymer foam manufacturing, 25 jobs, per BE NKY.
• FEAM AERO: $45M, 250 jobs (2024) Three-bay MRO hangar at CVG. Read more.
• L2 Aviation: $12.2M, 250 jobs (2024) Avionics manufacturing and engineering at CVG. Read more.
• Epic Flight Academy: $7M (2024) FAA-certified A&P mechanic school on CVG campus, per CVG Airport.
• CVG Global Logistics Park Phase 1: $12M (2025) First development in CVG’s new freight development zone, per Airport Improvement.
• DHL Express: $292M, 300 jobs (completing 2026) New carbon-neutral maintenance facility at CVG super-hub. Read more

Each of these decisions reflects a company that evaluated Midwest options and chose CVG and Northern Kentucky. That pattern is the most credible signal available for any company now making the same decision.

Ready to Explore Northern Kentucky for Your Aviation Company?

BE NKY Growth Partnership provides no-cost site selection support, incentive package matching, and workforce pipeline introductions for aviation companies evaluating the region. Their team actively collaborates with CVG Airport Authority to match aviation operations, MRO facilities, and aerospace manufacturers with available sites, hangar space, and development opportunities on and around the CVG campus.

Since 2019, BE NKY has driven 130 economic development project wins, creating 10,570 jobs and more than $2 billion in capital investment, with aviation and aerospace among the strongest contributors, per BE NKY’s impact report. Contact BE NKY today to start the conversation.