Otto Aerospace, the company that plans to build its jet factory in Jacksonville, announced Sept. 29 that aviation company Flexjet will be the launch customer for its Phantom 3500 business aircraft.
In a Sept. 29 news release, Otto announced that Flexjet had placed an order for 300 of the corporate jets it plans to manufacture at Cecil Airport. The carbon-fiber Phantom 3500 is designed with laminar-flow aerodynamics to reduce fuel burn by more than 60%.
“Flexjet’s decision to build their fleet around the Phantom 3500 speaks volumes about where aviation is headed,” Otto Aerospace CEO Paul Touw said in a news release. “As one of the largest business jet orders in private aviation history, this marks a turning point in the industry’s move toward sustainable and efficient air travel.”
Cleveland-based Flexjet offers leasing and fractional jet ownership, a system where an individual or company buys a share of a private aircraft. Its fleet includes Embraer, Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft.
Flexjet also operates a global fleet of Sikorsky S-76 helicopters serving locations throughout the northeastern U.S., Florida, United Kingdom and Italy.
In the release, Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci called the Phantom 3500 “a bold step into a future where an aircraft’s efficiency and sustainability stand alongside speed, comfort, and range as defining standards.”
In June 2025, Otto announced it would establish a manufacturing and production facility to build the jet at Cecil Airport. The announcement came after the Jacksonville City Council approved a $20 million incentive package for the aircraft company in the form of a 20-year, 75% Recapture Enhanced Value Grant for Otto. A REV Grant is a refund on added tax revenue generated by a new development.
Otto, now based in Texas, also plans to relocate its headquarters to Jacksonville. In total, the move is expected to create a workforce of about 1,200 locally.
The company announced it changed its name from Otto Aviation to Otto Aerospace on Sept. 2.
The first test flight of the Phantom 3500 is planned in 2027, with certification and deliveries targeted for 2030.
Otto’s agreement with Flexjet allows Flexjet’s maintenance arm to become an authorized Otto service center.
Otto plans to start at Cecil’s Hangar 825 before building a 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility for the Phantom 3500. The company is making a $430 million capital investment in Jacksonville, aided by a $34.9 million JAA incentive package, including abatements, rent credits and the city-approved $20 million REV Grant.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is preparing for Otto’s arrival with a request for qualifications issued Sept. 18 seeking a consultant to oversee the $22.5 million extension of Taxiway E at Cecil Airport.