Aviation Workforce Solutions

Payroll, benefits, workers' comp, HR, retirement, and technology — built specifically for aviation businesses. One partner. Everything handled.

What We Do

Six Services. One Platform.

Everything your aviation business needs to hire, pay, protect, and retain employees — without juggling multiple vendors.

How We're Different

Built for Aviation. Not Adapted From Something Else.

Other workforce providers retrofit generic programs for aviation. We started with aviation and built everything around it.

We Cover Aviation Workers

Ramp crews, fuelers, A&P mechanics, line techs — the employees that other providers refuse to put on benefits or workers' comp. We built our program around them.

Aviation Class Code Expertise

We know the difference between 7424, 7428, 8810, and 8871. Proper classification means accurate rates — not inflated premiums from a provider who doesn't understand your workforce.

DOT & FAA Compliance Support

Drug testing programs, FAA documentation, DOT compliance reporting — HR support that understands the regulatory environment your business operates in.

Dedicated HR Consultant

Not a call center. A real person who knows your business, your employees, and your industry. Available when you need them, proactive when you don't.

No Year-End Audit Surprises

Pay-as-you-go workers' comp billing tied to actual payroll. Premiums adjust automatically as your headcount changes — no big deposit, no surprise true-up bill.

Fortune 500 Benefits at FBO Prices

We pool aviation businesses together to access group health plans, dental, vision, life, and disability rates that small operators can't get on their own.

Aviation ramp agent guiding aircraft with signal wands

Payroll & Tax Administration

Accurate, on-time payroll with full tax filing, compliance, and reporting — built for aviation businesses with crews across multiple locations and states.

What's Included

  • Payroll Processing: Weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly pay cycles. Direct deposit, printed checks, and pay cards available.
  • Tax Filing & Deposits: Federal, state, and local payroll tax filing and deposits. We handle it all — including multi-state withholding for businesses with employees across locations.
  • W-2 & 1099 Processing: Year-end tax forms prepared, filed, and distributed to employees and contractors.
  • Garnishment Administration: Child support, tax levies, and wage garnishments handled accurately and on time.
  • New Hire Reporting: State-required new hire reporting filed automatically when you onboard someone.
  • General Ledger Integration: Payroll data exports that map directly to your chart of accounts for clean bookkeeping.

Why Aviation Payroll Is Different

Aviation businesses often have employees in multiple states, a mix of salaried and hourly workers, seasonal fluctuations, and complex workers' comp codes. A generic payroll provider treats an FBO the same way they treat a restaurant. We don't. Our payroll is wired into your workers' comp, your benefits, and your HR — so everything stays in sync and nothing falls through the cracks.

How It Works

1

You submit hours or we pull them automatically from your time tracking system.

2

We calculate pay, taxes, deductions, garnishments, and benefits contributions.

3

Employees get paid on time via direct deposit. Tax filings happen automatically.

4

Workers' comp premiums adjust in real time based on actual payroll — no surprises.

Employee Benefits

Fortune 500 health plans at rates small aviation businesses can actually afford. Medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and more — including coverage for ramp workers, fuelers, and mechanics.

What's Available

  • Medical Insurance: Multiple plan options from national carriers — PPO, HMO, and high-deductible plans to fit every budget. Employees choose the plan that works for them.
  • Dental & Vision: Standalone and bundled dental and vision plans with competitive group rates.
  • Life Insurance: Basic group life included. Supplemental and voluntary life available for employees who want additional coverage.
  • Short & Long-Term Disability: Income protection for employees who can't work due to illness or injury. Critical for retaining good talent.
  • HSA, FSA & HRA: Tax-advantaged savings accounts that reduce costs for both you and your employees.
  • ICHRA: Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements for businesses that want to give employees a defined benefit amount to buy their own health coverage.

Why Other Providers Won't Cover Your Team

Most benefits providers look at ramp workers, fuelers, and A&P mechanics and see "high risk." They either refuse coverage or charge prohibitive rates. We built our program specifically to include these workers from day one. Your mechanic gets the same health plan options as your office manager.

The Group Buying Power Advantage

Small businesses get big-company rates because we pool aviation employers together into a single buying group. The more aviation businesses we serve, the better the rates get for everyone.

Benefits administration is included. Open enrollment, plan changes, COBRA, ACA reporting — we handle the paperwork so you don't have to.

Employee self-service portal lets your team view plan details, download ID cards, and manage their own enrollment online.

Aircraft mechanic inspecting jet engine in maintenance hangar

Workers' Compensation

Pay-as-you-go workers' comp with no down payment, no year-end audit surprises, and claims management built around aviation class codes.

How It Works

  • Pay-As-You-Go Billing: Premiums are calculated from actual payroll each pay period. No big deposit up front. No estimated annual premium that gets trued up later.
  • No Year-End Audit: Because premiums are tied to real payroll data in real time, there's no surprise audit bill at the end of the year.
  • Aviation Class Code Expertise: We correctly classify your employees under codes 7424 (aircraft operations), 7428 (aircraft maintenance), 8810 (clerical), and 8871 (janitorial) — so you're not overpaying because of misclassification.
  • Claims Management: When a claim is filed, our team handles triage, coordinates medical care, manages return-to-work programs, and works to close claims efficiently.
  • Safety Programs: Workplace safety programs designed for aviation operations. Better safety records mean lower experience mods and lower premiums over time.

The Cash Flow Difference

Traditional workers' comp requires a large down payment — often 25% of the estimated annual premium — plus monthly installments based on projections. If your headcount fluctuates seasonally (as it does for many FBOs and flight schools), you either overpay or get hit with a big audit bill at year end.

With Nacelle Partners, your premium is calculated from actual payroll every pay period. If you add employees in the summer and scale back in winter, your premium adjusts automatically. No surprises. No cash flow crunch.

The Nacelle Advantage

$0 down payment. Start coverage without tying up capital.

No year-end audit bill. Premiums stay current with actual payroll.

Integrated with payroll. Workers' comp deductions happen automatically — no manual reconciliation.

Dedicated claims team that understands aviation injuries and return-to-work protocols.

HR Management & Compliance

A dedicated HR consultant, employee handbooks, compliance guidance, and the tools to hire, manage, and retain your aviation workforce.

What's Included

  • Dedicated HR Consultant: A real person — not a call center — assigned to your account. They know your business, your employees, and your industry.
  • Employee Handbook: Custom handbooks built for your business with state-specific policies, updated annually to reflect current regulations.
  • Hiring & Termination Support: Job descriptions, offer letters, onboarding checklists, and termination guidance to keep you compliant and reduce liability.
  • DOT & FAA Compliance: Drug testing program administration, DOT compliance documentation, and guidance on aviation-specific regulatory requirements.
  • Training & Development: Harassment prevention, safety training, management development, and compliance training available online.
  • Employment Law Guidance: Wage and hour questions, FMLA, ADA, EEOC — your HR consultant is available to walk you through it.

Why This Matters for Aviation

Aviation businesses operate in a regulatory environment that most HR providers don't understand. FAA drug testing requirements, DOT compliance, OSHA rules specific to aviation ground operations — getting any of these wrong creates real liability. Your HR consultant understands these requirements and makes sure your business stays compliant.

Flight crew in cockpit — aviation workforce

Retirement Plans

401(k) plans with employer match options, plus SECURE 2.0 Act tax credits that can save eligible small businesses up to $76,500 over five years.

What's Available

  • Traditional 401(k): Employee pre-tax contributions with optional employer matching. Multiple investment fund options managed by a professional administrator.
  • Roth 401(k): After-tax contributions for employees who prefer tax-free withdrawals in retirement.
  • Employer Match Programs: Flexible matching formulas to fit your budget — from safe harbor to discretionary matching.
  • Plan Administration: Compliance testing, annual filings (Form 5500), participant statements, and plan amendments handled for you.

SECURE 2.0 Tax Credits

The SECURE 2.0 Act created significant tax credits for small businesses that start new retirement plans. If your business has fewer than 50 employees and doesn't currently offer a 401(k), you may be eligible for credits worth up to $76,500 over five years. These credits cover plan startup costs and can offset employer contributions — making a 401(k) essentially free to launch for qualifying businesses.

Why Offer Retirement Benefits?

Retention: A&P mechanics and experienced line techs are hard to find and harder to keep. A 401(k) with employer match is one of the strongest retention tools you have.

Tax savings: Employer contributions are tax-deductible. Combined with SECURE 2.0 credits, the cost can be minimal.

Competitive edge: Most small aviation businesses don't offer retirement plans. Adding one puts you ahead of the competition for talent.

HR Technology & HRIS

A modern platform for managing your workforce — electronic onboarding, employee self-service, time tracking, PTO management, and real-time reporting.

Platform Features

  • Electronic Onboarding: New hires complete I-9s, W-4s, direct deposit forms, benefits enrollment, and handbook acknowledgments online — before their first day.
  • Employee Self-Service: Employees can view pay stubs, update personal info, download tax forms, request PTO, and manage their benefits online or from their phone.
  • Time & Attendance: Clock-in/clock-out, timesheet approval, overtime tracking, and integration with payroll. Supports mobile punch for remote crews.
  • PTO Management: Accrual tracking, request/approval workflows, and balance reporting for vacation, sick time, and personal days.
  • Workforce Reporting: Real-time dashboards for headcount, labor costs, turnover, benefits utilization, and workers' comp metrics.
  • Document Management: Employee files, certifications, licenses, and compliance documents stored securely in one place.

Why It Matters

Aviation businesses deal with a lot of paperwork — FAA certifications, medical certificates, drug testing records, training logs. A good HRIS keeps all of this organized and accessible, with alerts when certifications are expiring and reports when you need them. It also eliminates the double-entry nightmare of managing payroll, benefits, and workers' comp across separate systems.

What a Complete Nacelle Partners Program Looks Like

One partner. All your workforce needs. One monthly bill.

Example: FBO with 25 Employees

Payroll & Tax Bi-weekly payroll, multi-state tax filing, direct deposit, W-2 processing
Employee Benefits Medical, dental, vision, life, disability — for all employees including ramp crew
Workers' Comp Pay-as-you-go, aviation class codes, $0 down, no year-end audit
HR & Compliance Dedicated consultant, employee handbook, DOT/FAA compliance support
Retirement 401(k) with employer match, SECURE 2.0 tax credits
HR Technology HRIS platform, e-onboarding, time tracking, employee self-service

Result: One partner. One platform. One monthly bill. Your workforce is covered, compliant, and taken care of.

Nacelle Partners vs. Doing It Yourself

Feature
DIY Approach
Nacelle Partners
Benefits for Aviation Workers
Declined or overpriced
All employees covered
Number of Vendors
3-5 separate vendors
One partner
Workers' Comp Billing
Big deposit + year-end audit
Pay-as-you-go, $0 down
Health Plan Quality
Small group rates
Large group rates
HR Support
You're on your own
Dedicated consultant
Payroll + Benefits Sync
Manual reconciliation
Integrated platform
Aviation Compliance
Generic templates
DOT & FAA support
Onboarding Experience
Paper forms and faxes
Electronic, day-one ready

Ready to simplify your workforce operations?

Get a quote and see how much simpler your business runs when payroll, benefits, workers' comp, and HR are all handled by one aviation-focused partner.

Talk to Our Team