A team of Northern Kentucky aviation companies is at the Farnborough International Airshow in England, which runs July 20 through July 25, seeking to attract global aerospace investment to the CVG corridor in Boone County.
BE NKY Growth Partnership, the economic development organization for Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties, announced July 20 that it is attending the biennial show alongside CVG airport, L2 Aviation, and FEAM Aero. Farnborough is one of the world's largest aerospace trade events, and more than 20 U.S. states are represented in the show's U.S. International Partnership Pavilion, according to Aviation International News.
The delegation's pitch centers on CVG's cargo infrastructure and a wave of recent aerospace investment. CVG ranks as the seventh-largest cargo airport in North America, employs roughly 16,000 badged workers, and generates a $10.5 billion regional economic impact supporting about 55,000 jobs, according to a presentation Seth Cutter, CVG vice president of public affairs, gave to Florence City Council in April 2025. About 1,340 of those airport employees live in Florence.
The two companies flanking the partnership at Farnborough have poured more than $76 million into CVG facilities in recent years. L2 Aviation, an avionics design and manufacturing firm, invested $12.2 million to open its first Kentucky location at CVG, creating 250 jobs. The facility celebrated its grand opening in May 2025. FEAM Aero, a Florida-based aircraft maintenance company, has invested $64 million at CVG since 2020, including a $45 million wide-body hangar that opened in March 2024 and added 200 maintenance jobs. FEAM services DHL, Atlas Air, and Amazon Air's fleet at the airport.
Kentucky's aerospace sector adds weight to the pitch. The state reported more than 100 aerospace-related facilities and 23,000 aerospace employees, according to BE NKY. Aerospace products and parts were Kentucky's top export in 2025, totaling more than $23 billion. CVG earned the title of Best Regional Airport in North America at the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards in March.
No specific deals or recruitment targets from the Farnborough trip have been announced. BE NKY CEO Lee Crume and his team are expected to report results at the partnership's Q3 Economic Development Update on August 26, at Florence Nature Park Event Center.
