Growth at KOKC Means a Brighter Future for General Aviation

Image from Atlantic Aviation

Oklahoma City is home to three of the largest independent oil and natural gas companies in the United States.  It's the home of Sonic (America's Drive In), and it's pretty much just awesome.  But since 1972, OKC's Will Rogers World Airport has only been served by one FBO.

AAR has been king of the roost for a long time, and I've always had to wonder why.  I've heard from a number of people that their staff has been rude, and lacked a since of concern for their customers' needs.  The other problem is that AAR has had a monopoly on fuel prices at KOKC.  And if you've ever tried to purchase a flight to or from OKC on Continental (from IAH), you will find a very steep price of over $300 each way.

But change is on the horizon.  Oklahoma City is also served by Wiley Post Airport (and yes, Oklahoma does have an affection for naming its airports after people who died in plane crashes).  Wiley Post (KPWA) is home to many prive jets and is a good choice for GA operations.  However, OKC provides quicker access to the downtown area.

With that in mind, Plano, Texas, based Atlantic Aviation has decided to expand their operations from Wiley Post to Will Rogers.

On the east side of 35R/17L, just south of ARINC's two year old building, Atlantic Aviation is building a 40,000 square foot building to create some real competition in the OKC GA market.  The most exciting thing about this growth is that it implies that the General Aviation market is on the rise.  I, for one, am excited to see more growth in Oklahoma City as well.  This exciting turn in events is a true indication that the economy is on the rise, even if we're not out of the woods yet.

To learn more about Atlantic Aviation's new facility, visit their website.  You might also want to learn about AAR's FBO here.

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?