Otto to Build Fuel-Saving Bizjet Manufacturing Hub in 2028

Company aims to certify and deliver its Phantom 3500 around 2030 and make about 1,600 jets over the following decade.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, September 01, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The windowless passenger cabin of Otto’s Phantom 3500 super-midsize business jet is designed to smooth out the airframe and achieve laminar flow. [Credit: Otto Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Otto Aerospace plans to begin construction of its Phantom 3500 manufacturing facility at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2028, with initial aircraft production and deliveries targeted for 2030.
The Phantom 3500 is designed as a fuel-efficient, super-midsize business jet, aiming for 35% less drag and 60% less fuel burn through its laminar-flow airframe, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
The project, estimated to cost $1.5 billion, has secured significant tax credits and grants from Florida. Key milestones include a $12.1 million R&D hangar renovation, an agreed Part 23 certification basis with the FAA, and planned flight testing for 2027.

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Otto Aerospace in about two years plans to break ground on a manufacturing facility for its fuel-efficient, super-midsize Phantom 3500 business jet, according to an official with the Jacksonville Airport Authority (JAA) in Florida.

The Jacksonville Daily Record reported that Tony Cugno, JAA’s chief operating officer, last week told a Jacksonville City Council committee that Otto will begin construction at Cecil Airport (KVQQ) in 2028. In 2025, Otto announced the relocation of its headquarters from Texas to Jacksonville and said it planned to base Phantom 3500 production there.