The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics concluded its October 9, 2024, Commission meeting by approving significant funding for statewide airport construction projects, new non-stop flight incentives for OKC Will Rogers International Airport and educational initiatives designed to improve the aviation classroom laboratory environment at schools across the state. These investments reflect the Department\u2019s ongoing commitment to enhancing Oklahoma\u2019s aviation infrastructure and fostering aerospace education for future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Airport Construction Grants Approved<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During the meeting, the Commission approved several substantial grants to fund critical airport construction projects across Oklahoma. These projects will enhance airport infrastructure, boost local economies, and improve aviation safety and operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enid Woodring Regional Airport: The Commission approved a grant to fund the construction of a taxilane, with a total project cost of $1,343,730. The project will be financed through $850,000 in federal funds, $426,542.50 in state grants, and $67,187.50 in local matching funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watonga Regional Airport: A project to construct a partial parallel taxiway and apron on the west side of the airport to open up 40 acres of developable property was approved, with a total cost of $1,536,812. This will be funded by $776,230 in federal grants, $683,741 in state grants, and $76,841 in local matching funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n William R. Pogue Airport (Sand Springs): The Commission greenlit a state grant for the installation of a Jet A fuel system at the airport. The project\u2019s total cost is $563,124.48, with half funded by state grants and the other half by local sponsor matching funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Non-Stop Commercial Flight Incentives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Commission also approved a $2 million grant to support the OKC Will Rogers World Airport and the Oklahoma City Economic Alliance\u2019s initiative to garner new commercial air service for one or more potential new routes including San Francisco, San Diego, Washington Dulles, Boston, or a destination in Mexico. This grant award is a part of the Department\u2019s Commercial Air Service Development Program designed to support potential new non-stop flights for the state\u2019s commercial airports and funded through the Oklahoma Legislature\u2019s PREP fund that was passed in the fall of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese airport projects are not only critical to improving aviation infrastructure but also in supporting economic growth across Oklahoma\u2019s communities,\u201d said Grayson Ardies, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics. \u201cBy investing in our airports, whether for infrastructure or for new non-stop flights, we\u2019re ensuring they remain key drivers for local and state economies, while enhancing safety and operational capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Oklahoma Department of Aerospace & Aeronautics today approved our grant application for the Oklahoma Air Service Development Grant Program. This will help Oklahoma City Airports attract more air service for our growing community, said Jeff Mulder, A.A.E., Director of Airports, Oklahoma City\/OKC Airport Trust. \u201cWe appreciate the partnership and support from the ODAA, the State of Oklahoma and the Economic Alliance of Oklahoma City for making this happen. This air service fund will be offered to airlines as an incentive to start new service on targeted routes from OKC Will Rogers International Airport.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aerospace Education Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Commission reinforced its commitment to aerospace education by awarding over $300,000 in classroom lab improvement grants to institutions across the state. These funds will be used to develop or improve laboratory facilities dedicated to aviation and aerospace programs, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities in this critical field. The schools awarded funding include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese grants will give students across Oklahoma the resources they need to engage in meaningful aerospace education,\u201d said Paula Kedy, Statewide Aerospace STEM Education Manager. \u201cBy investing in school laboratories and aviation programs, we are not only preparing our students for future careers but also securing Oklahoma\u2019s future as a leader in aerospace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are so excited to be selected for the ODAA Classroom Laboratory Improvement Grant,\u201d said Denise Hensley, Putnam City Aviation. \u201cIt will allow us to finish our Aviation space with new flooring and paint. Our students will be able to learn in a facility that is as excellent as our program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe ODAA Classroom Lab Development Grant will allow more of our aviation students the opportunity to participate in hands-on experiences through the use of flight simulators,\u201d said Doug Gunselman, Weatherford Public Schools. \u201cIt will also provide us flexibility with our classroom space as our aviation program continues to grow.\u201d The next Commission meeting is scheduled for December 11, 2024. For more information and to access the full meeting packet, visit the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics\u2019 website at https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/aerospace<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics concluded its October 9, 2024, Commission meeting by approving significant funding for statewide airport construction projects, new non-stop flight incentives for OKC Will Rogers International Airport and educational initiatives designed to improve the aviation classroom laboratory environment at schools across the state. These investments reflect the Department\u2019s ongoing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":29950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oklahoma"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Commission-Approves-Funding-Oct-24-edit.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29949"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29951,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29949\/revisions\/29951"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n