North Shore Aviation has begun operating the airport-owned North Shore Jet Center at Waukegan National Airport in Illinois, making the facility the airport’s sole fixed-base operator. The new FBO made its NBAA-BACE debut during the 2026 convention, coinciding with the company’s first month of operations at the business-aviation airport.
Local officials brought FBO operations in-house after previously relying on an outside provider. The North Shore Jet Center is owned and operated for Waukegan National Airport, giving the airport direct control over services for pilots, passengers and other airport users.
The facility provides the airport with an alternative operating model in which FBO management is handled locally rather than by a third-party contractor. The change is intended to support oversight of customer-facing services and the airport’s broader business-aviation strategy, although details of the operating agreement, investment, staffing and financial performance have not been disclosed.
North Shore Aviation presented the new operation in the FBO segment at NBAA-BACE 2026. The airport has not disclosed specific changes to service levels, rates or facilities following the transition.