Family-owned Bizav Businesses Look To Pass the Torch

While business aviation as an industry has existed for more than seven decades, there are still some family-owned companies that are riding high.

Duncan Aviation chairman Todd Duncan (center) is flanked by his twin sons Harrison (left) and Paul Kent "PK" (right). They recently joined the company and will carry its legacy to a fourth generation. (Photo: Duncan Aviation)

By Curt Epstein • Business Aviation Services Editor

October 22, 2020

While business aviation as an industry has existed for more than seven decades, there are still some family-owned companies that have bucked the trend toward corporate consolidation and trace their lineage back nearly that long—or even longer in some cases. They have seen their share of ups and downs over the years, including this latest Covid pandemic, but these companies have grown and thrived and are passing their legacies to a new generation.

Duncan Aviation is a well-known name today as the largest privately-owned business jet service provider in the world, but that wasn’t the case in 1956 when Donald Duncan—a private pilot who had made a living purchasing, flying, and selling surplus U.S. government aircraft—became a partner in a Beechcraft dealership in Omaha, Nebraska.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

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