Emery Air

What Emery Air does

Emery Air (legal entity: Emery Air, LLC) is a privately held aviation services company headquartered at Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) in Rockford, Illinois. Founded in 1958 by Lew Emery as a flight school, the company has evolved over six decades into a multi-service aviation platform. It provides fixed-base operator (FBO) services, ground handling for commercial and cargo aircraft, air cargo handling and screening, bonded and on-airfield warehousing, 1PL/2PL/3PL trucking and logistics, and cargo brokerage. Operations are organized around three core product lines — FBO & General Aviation Services, Ground Services, and Air Cargo Services — supported by 320,000+ sq. ft. of on-airfield SITA warehousing, 500,000+ sq. ft. of off-airfield warehousing, cold storage capability, and a TSA-approved RFD-to-ORD trucking route with over-the-road delivery across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

The business model is transaction-fee based, with services delivered under contract to large enterprise customers across three primary segments: air cargo operators (Amazon, UPS, Emirates SkyCargo, Senator International, DB Schenker, DSV/Panalpina), commercial airlines (Allegiant Air), and general aviation traffic. Core technology is not publicly disclosed; the company's operational differentiators are physical — RFD's strategic Midwest location, ramp space for up to 16 Boeing 747-8 freighters, 24/7/365 operations, and TSA-approved cargo screening — rather than digital. Headcount has expanded from approximately 70 to 250+ employees since the mid-2010s cargo buildout, and the firm holds ACMR certification, IATA Audit compliance, Quality Management System, and Safety Management System certifications.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Infrastructure investment has been continuous: the first cargo facility expansion was completed in 2021, additional warehousing added 250,000+ sq. ft. within the airport perimeter in 2022, and cold storage plus fuel storage tanks were added in 2023. The company operates under TSA-approved cargo screening protocols for both K9 and Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) methods, with customs clearance and dangerous goods capability for international flights. Geographic scope is concentrated in the U.S. Midwest (RFD-primary, with ORD as a secondary node via the TSA-approved trucking route) and extends OTR into the broader U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Name

Emery Air

Legal name

Emery Air, LLC

Website

https://emeryair.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Emery Air is a privately held aviation services company at Chicago Rockford International Airport providing ground handling, FBO, air cargo handling and screening, bonded warehousing, and trucking logistics to enterprise customers including Amazon, UPS, Emirates SkyCargo, and major freight forwarders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Ground Support Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace & Defense (TLAIALAB)

Keywords

• Air cargo handling
• Aircraft ground support
• Fixed base operator
• Cargo warehousing logistics
• Aviation fueling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ground Handling Services: Revenue from providing aircraft ground handling services including loading, unloading, ramp operations, and de-icing to commercial and cargo airlines operating at RFD.
2. FBO Services: Full-service Fixed Base Operator services including fueling (Jet-A and Avgas), hangar storage, passenger and crew facilities, and concierge services for general aviation aircraft.
3. Cargo Handling and Warehousing: Air cargo ground handling, bonded cargo warehousing, 3PL warehousing services, and cargo brokerage operations for freight forwarders and airlines.
4. Trucking and Logistics: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trucking logistics support, including TSA-approved route between RFD and ORD, and OTR delivery in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Emery Air provides aircraft ground handling, full-service Fixed Base Operator (FBO) services, air cargo terminal operations, bonded and 3PL warehousing, and 1st/2nd/3rd-party trucking logistics at Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD). The company serves commercial airlines, freight forwarders, and general aviation operators with 24/7/365 operations including fueling, de-icing, ULD handling, TSA-approved cargo screening, customs clearance, and dedicated RFD-ORD cargo trucking.

Product overview

Emery Air is a multi-platform aviation service company offering a unified portfolio of services at Chicago Rockford International Airport. The core offerings consist of: (1) FBO & General Aviation Services — full-service Fixed Base Operator with fueling, hangar, ground handling, and passenger amenities; (2) Ground Services — comprehensive ramp handling, fuel management, deice services, and GSE maintenance; and (3) Air Cargo Services — cargo terminal operations with TSA screening, ULD handling, customs clearance, and airfreight trucking. Supporting these core services are three key modules: Warehousing (320,000+ sq. ft. on-airfield and 500,000 sq. ft. off-airfield storage with cold storage), Trucking & Logistics (1PL/2PL/3PL support including cross-border OTR and RFD-ORD route), and Cargo Brokerage. The company operates 24/7/365 and has grown from approximately 70 to 250+ employees following recent infrastructure expansions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FBO & General Aviation Services Full-service Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at Chicago Rockford International Airport providing fueling (Jet-A and Avgas), de-ice, heated hangar facilities, tie-down and storage, ground handling, aircraft cleaning, flight planning, catering, transportation, concierge services, passenger/pilot lounge, crew shower facilities, conference room, and customs support for general aviation aircraft operators.
• Ground Services Comprehensive ramp and ground support for commercial and cargo airlines including fuel services, deice and anti-ice services, in-house GSE maintenance team, an aircraft equipment fleet (10,000-gallon refuelers, de-ice trucks, airstairs, pushback, tugs, K-loaders, lavatory/water service, ground power units, air start, heat carts), cabin presentation and catering, passenger services, and international flight customs clearance.
• Air Cargo Services 24/7 air cargo terminal operations including TSA-approved cargo screening (K9 and ETD), ULD build-up and breakdown, dangerous goods and pharma capability, import/export documentation, U.S. Customs and Border Control clearance, airfreight trucking, TSA-compliant RFD-ORD route, and cargo spot tracking for commercial airlines, freight forwarders, and integrators.
• Warehousing Services Bonded and 3PL air cargo warehousing with over 320,000 sq. ft. of on-airfield SITA warehousing and 500,000 sq. ft. off-airfield warehousing, including cold storage installed in warehouse #2 for freight forwarders and airlines.
• Trucking & Logistics 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-party trucking logistics support including over-the-road delivery across the US, Mexico, and Canada, and a TSA-approved route between Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD).
• Cargo Brokerage Air cargo brokerage services expanding the company's ability to serve freight clients end-to-end at the RFD hub.
• Regional Airline Charter and Maintenance Services Regional airline charter service paired with a specialty maintenance shop supporting the Embraer and Bombardier CRJ family of regional airliners, as well as other corporate and regional jet maintenance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wheels down to engines off in 5 minutes or less vs. average 1 hour 46 minutes at major hubs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Emirates SkyCargocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Emirates SkyCargo commenced scheduled and ad-hoc freighter flights to Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) from February 1, 2022, operating Boeing 777-F and 777-300ER mini freighter aircraft. Emery Air supports these operations through a rigorous compliance process.
• Senator InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenator International, a German air cargo forwarder, established RFD as its US Midwest hub and contracted Emery Air to oversee cargo handling operations. Senator operates weekly charter service from Frankfurt and has subleased 60,000 sq. ft. in the first cargo building at RFD.
• DB SchenkercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDB Schenker, the third-largest airfreight forwarder, joined RFD with scheduled services from Asia and contracted with Emery Air for aircraft and cargo handling services. DB Schenker is taking 50,000 sq. ft. in Building Two at the new cargo facility.
• DSV/PanalpinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSV/Panalpina, the fourth-largest airfreight forwarder, began weekly charter rotation between Shanghai, China and Rockford. Emery Air provides ground handling services for these operations.
• NATAminorOthersNATA (National Air Transportation Association) membership providing industry standards, best practices, and regulatory guidance for FBO and ground handling operations.
• World Fuel ServicesminorOthersWorld Fuel Services supplies aviation fuel (Jet-A and Avgas) for Emery Air's FBO fueling operations.
• FlightBridgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlightBridge reservation platform integration allowing customers to make reservations for FBO services at Emery Air.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emery Air