The private jet operator will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year and is hoping the date will coincide with the beginnings of a new maintenance service for outside planes.

Currently, the company maintains and repairs only its own 20-aircraft fleet. But Mike Vargo, director of sales and marketing, said there is an opportunity to service many other private jets flying over the region. The company expects to accommodate a "couple hundred aircraft" in the first year of operations, adding more as the business matures.

In market data compiled to promote the move, Vargo learned that there are no major independent jet maintenance facilities in Pennsylvania, prompting carriers to fly to Newburgh, N.Y.; Dayton, Ohio; or New Jersey for heavier maintenance.

The company expects to start the project in the spring or summer. The first of two phases should take about three years. The estimated $7.5 million bill will be funded through external finacing and Corporate Air's reserves, Vargo said. At its completion, the company will hire around 50 new employees, including mechanics, administration support and inspectors.

Allegheny County Airport's largest tenant, Corporate Air, recently signed a $12.7 million, 30-year lease at the site.

"They didn't just look at the county airport for this, they looked at other areas as well," said JoAnn Jenny, spokewoman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which oversees operations at the airport. "This is really a positive and long-term commitment."