Aviation companies invest in new space at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City

• June 29, 2011
  
  

  Two new general aviation hangars at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City are the beginning of an effort to bring more business to the area between the airport and Interstate 44.
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  BY JENNIFER PALMER jpalmer@opubco.com

  Published: June 29, 2011

  Two new general aviation hangars on the east side of Will Rogers World Airport are part of a larger effort to develop 1,000 acres between the airport and Interstate 44.

  ARINC will open its second hangar at Will Rogers World Airport in mid-July. The aviation company based in Annapolis, Md., already had the largest commercial aircraft hangar in Oklahoma City, and its new facility is even larger at 63,000 square feet.

  Project manager Marvin Bonta said ARINC considered other cities for expansion but chose Oklahoma City because it was more efficient and productive to add work here.

  “We have a pipeline of work, and the minute it’s opened up, it’s going to be full,” he said.
  ARINC performs aircraft overhaul, system upgrades and intelligence support mainly for the U.S. and foreign governments.

  About 100 workers have been hired to fill the new hangar, including engineers and aircraft mechanics, and another 100 could be added in the next year.

  Meanwhile, Atlantic Aviation last week unveiled its new $6.5 million facility that includes a 29,000-square-foot hangar and 12,000-square-feet of lobby and office space. The company, based in Plano, Texas, has 65 fixed-base operators nationwide, including at Wiley Post Airport. The facility at Will Rogers World Airport is the first the company has built from the ground up.

  “We felt the OKC market was underserved, and the economy is stable,” said Tim Bannon, regional director for Atlantic Aviation.

  The company provides aircraft storage, fuel and other services to private aircraft owners, such as energy companies and sports charters.

  Mark Kranenburg, director of airports for Oklahoma City, said the intention is to develop 1,000 acres east of the airport for aeronautical and nonaeronautical businesses, including some retail, to provide a steady revenue stream for the airport.

  “We’re not really interested in big box stores,” he said. “What we are interested in is a high level of retail development which could include restaurants, hotels and specialty shops.”

  Basic infrastructure improvements such as utilities and marketing efforts are under way, he said.

  Source: Daily Oklahoman

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