Flexjet’s new Farnborough terminal brings hospitality-driven design to private aviation

Flexjet, the fractional ownership private aviation provider, has opened its first dedicated European terminal at Farnborough Airport in Surrey, a two-storey, 2,098 sq m facility that puts interior design and hospitality at the centre of the private-jet experience. The terminal, two years in development, serves as a multifunctional hub for the company’s owners, housing a lounge, meeting spaces, a cabin-crew training academy, event areas and Flexjet’s European headquarters on the upper floor.

The interiors, designed by Canada-based Carver Hain Art + Design, consciously avoid the sterile, high-traffic feel of conventional airport lounges. Practice co-director Tracy Hain, who previously designed Flexjet’s Mayfair office, drew inspiration from aerial landscapes, using rich textures, warm hues and soft lighting to create what the company describes as a ‘home from home’ for its members.

Key facts

Domestic detailing and curated furnishings

The ground-floor lounge uses stained-oak flooring from Havwoods with a custom block pattern, B&B Italia sofas, a rug by The Rug Company, and decorative lighting including Cassina’s ‘Ficupala’ table lamps and a Bert Frank chandelier. Fabrics from Casamance appear in buttery leather and earthy-toned or rich blue textiles. Curved walls and columns are finished in an embossed liquid-metal bronze, while rounded forms and soft illumination from Artemide and Bert Frank fixtures reinforce the residential character.

The oval bar, positioned as the main gathering point, serves a light menu of Viennoiserie, breakfast and lunch bowls, and cheese and charcuterie. Hain described the intended atmosphere as club-like, a space where owners might spend time or have a drink before or after a flight.

Fuselage Lounge and training facilities

The terminal’s centrepiece is the Fuselage Lounge, a full-size replica of a Gulfstream G700 cabin interior, complete with a master bedroom. Fitted out to match the actual aircraft specification, the space serves multiple functions: a place for owners to relax or work, a sales and marketing tool, and a practice area for cabin crew training. A removable galley module can be attached to the end of the lounge to facilitate hands-on crew instruction.

The training academy area, located on the ground floor, can be opened to the lounge during events or curtained off when privacy is needed. This flexibility reflects the terminal’s dual role as both a hospitality venue and an operational base.

Commissioned artworks include a sculpture by British-Canadian artist David Spriggs, a cloud-like whirl of layered acrylic panels inspired by wingtip vortices, and a wood-veneer marquetry piece by London-based Olly Fathers in the meeting room. The meeting room itself features bouclé wall coverings from Casamance, side tables in Calacatta Gold Cohen marble, and a ‘liquid effect’ painted ceiling achieved through multiple layers of lacquer.

Operational context and reader significance

Flexjet CEO Mike Silvestro described the terminal as a ‘blueprint’ for the company’s future infrastructure, noting that it represents a step forward in hospitality standards for private aviation. Chairman Kenn Ricci called it ‘one of the most significant branded luxury environments in private aviation’ and a defining moment in Flexjet’s global expansion.

The Farnborough terminal is Flexjet’s first in Europe. The US-headquartered company already operates nine other terminals in development or completed in the United States, with infrastructure present in 25 locations worldwide. Owners using the Farnborough hub can access helicopter transfers to and from London, with the Battersea-to-Farnborough commute taking approximately 20 minutes.

For readers interested in the intersection of aviation, interior design and hospitality, the terminal offers a case study in how private-jet infrastructure is evolving beyond utilitarian spaces toward branded, experience-driven environments. The project demonstrates how residential design principles can be applied to transit hubs, challenging the conventional airport-lounge model with a club-like, domestically scaled alternative.

Source: Wallpaper, Flexjet’s new UK hub for high flyers marks a welcome design departure (https://www.wallpaper.com/transportation/flexjets-new-uk-hub-for-high-flyers-marks-a-welcome-design-departure)