Who are these fancy flyers? This North Texas city welcomes the Jet Set with a new airport
It wasn’t long ago that Granbury was just a sleepy little town. Today, though, the burg is booming with shops, restaurants and entertainment, and now this city on the make has an airport, and some big-name visitors, to complement its reputation as a prime destination.
With a newly opened 4,000-square-foot terminal and a new mile-long runway, the Granbury Regional Airport is primed to take advantage of recent growth. Visit the airport, just off U.S. 377, and you’ll see evidence of this: single-engine turboprop planes parked next to sleek corporate jets.
Who are these fancy flyers? One is Taylor Sheridan, the man behind the “Yellowstone” television empire, who commutes between Hollywood and his Weatherford ranch on his Challenger 300, landing in Granbury. Others are executives for companies with a local presence, like Scott’s Miracle-Gro, which has a plant in nearby Cresson.
On a clear day in late February, there were half a dozen large aircraft waiting near the terminal and occupying space in nearby hangars, a good sign that word has gotten out about Granbury’s airport.
Cody J. Mathis, the city’s director of aviation, said none of that would be possible without the longer runway, which was built specifically to handle big birds.
“Our fleet mix has changed,” said Mathis. “We started out with standard small aircraft, with some limited turbo props. Now, I’m looking at a Challenger jet that just arrived from Las Vegas. On busy days, we’ll have four or five business jets out here needing fuel. We receive regular jet traffic daily, rain or shine. From an operational standpoint, our jet count has more than doubled.”
The new terminal has also been good for attracting inbound traffic. The old one was, let’s say, “rustic.” It served its purpose, but there were few amenities outside some tables and chairs. The present one offers a lounge where weary pilots can rest, a kitchen, snacks, temporary office spaces and a meeting room so corporate clients can conduct businesses as soon as they step off the plane.
According to Mathis, these little extras, along with services like complimentary transportation and the ease of getting in and out of the city, are a big reason why flyers prefer Granbury to larger airports in the area, like Fort Worth’s Meacham.
But Jeff Newpher, Granbury’s communication’s manager, stressed that it’s not about competing with other airports; it’s more about making sure the facilities in Granbury are such that pilots and passengers come to see the city’s airport as a premier landing spot.
Also under construction are the first of seven new hangars, the largest of which will be 27,000 square feet. When the two-phase, $60 million hangar project is complete within next five years, the Granbury Regional Airport will boast 31 new hangars spread across 32 acres. Of those, two will house charter and concierge services, one an aerospace maintenance company and the rest will be reserved for corporate jet storage.
Economic impact
You don’t have to be a Hollywood mogul or a high-powered executive to appreciate what the airport is doing. Granbury city leaders expect increased job opportunities with competitive salaries, averaging around $72,000 a year, once companies begin moving into the new hangars. The assumption now is that it will equate to around 50 new jobs, and the city is asking the companies to prioritize hiring locals and military veterans.
City leaders also believe airport modernization efforts will impact Granbury’s flourishing tourism industry to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars in newly created jobs and increased hospitality spending.
“When people visit Granbury, they’re going to take a hotel close to the square. They’re going to go out every night for three or four days, they’ll shop at the shops, maybe see a couple of shows, spend money in the restaurants and who knows where else,” said Mathis.
Tammy Dooley, director of Visit Granbury, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, called the airport expansion a “game changer” for a town that has established itself as the Celebration Capital of Texas and has been named Best Historic Small Town in America three times by USA Today.
She credited past and present city leaders, including members of the Granbury Regional Airport Board, for having the foresight to anticipate Granbury’s growth and its need for a larger airport. Dooley said the full scope of that ongoing investment is now coming into view, and it’s paying dividends.
“It’s opening new doors,” she said, noting the city has seen a large increase in visitors from California. That includes actors and crew members connected with the aforementioned Taylor Sheridan, whose shows “1883” and “The Madison” have used Granbury as a shooting location. The independent film “God’s Here” was also produced in town, and Dooley said the group behind that picture now plans to set up a permanent production facility there. All of that equates to more money circulating through Granbury’s small businesses.
“You see these larger jets coming in from Hollywood,” Dooley said. “I think they’re looking for privacy and the ease of not flying into DFW.”
Brianna Vinson, who manages the upscale Hotel Lucy, said she’s noticed an overall uptick in guests who say they got to town via air. Whether that means Granbury’s municipal airport or another nearby one, like DFW International Airport, she wasn’t sure.
One local couple, Frank and Rebecca Faiola, who perform around town as the music duo JetBlacq, were having coffee in Granbury’s square when they were asked about the airport and its impact on the area’s business and entertainment economy.
“Some of the long-time residents don’t like that Granbury has grown so much ... they want it to be like it was in 1985,” joked Frank. “I think it’s great, though.”
The Faiolas said an influx of visitors is good for the community, and they’re happy to welcome new folks to town, saying that’s what keeps Granbury vibrant. Frank, who worked in Northern California in the late 1970s, sees some similarities between this region and Silicon Valley before the tech boom. He thinks it’s just a matter of time before places like Granbury are buzzing with new residents and business opportunities.
Granbury leaders estimate the airport contributes $18.5 million annually to the local economy. That includes things like tax revenue, job creation and visitor spending. As for the financial input, the city invested $32 million in the new runway, more than half of which was covered by grants from the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. The Granbury City Council approved up to $3.9 million for the new terminal and another $3 million for improvements to the property.
Though Granbury is unique in many ways, it’s hardly alone when it comes to having a bustling small-to-midsize airport. Ryan LaFontaine, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Transportation, said general aviation traffic has increased across Texas in recent years. One reason TXDOT is willing to give cities like Granbury aviation grant money is to help alleviate congestion at larger airports due to that increase. Another reason, said LaFontaine, is to make out-of-the-way places like Granbury more accessible by air.
Looking ahead, Mathis would love to see more commercial development at Granbury Regional Airport. He envisions one day expanding to the point where it could accept limited numbers of small freight aircraft, almost like a small-scale version of Alliance Airport.
For the time being, he’s satisfied with where Granbury is. The airport is a money maker thanks to its fuel operations and storage facilities, and Mathis said that profit will be put back into future airport development.
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 5:50 AM.