Will Rogers World Airport: Proposed $70 mil expansion

[BoulderSooner]

Is WRWA the best in the country. No. But is far from the disaster that Kerry makes it out to be. It is in the upper half of the top 50 us airports. And that is on the low side

[bchris02]

Is WRWA the best in the country. No. But is far from the disaster that Kerry makes it out to be. It is in the upper half of the top 50 us airports. And that is on the low side

WRWA isn't in the upper half of the top 50 in the US. It actually doesn't even make the Top 50. Last I checked it came in at #65, right above Louisville and right below Tucson. I would consider WRWA to be a step above a small regional airport though and anybody who makes it out to be that hasn't traveled much.

[catcherinthewry]

WRWA isn't in the upper half of the top 50 in the US. It actually doesn't even make the Top 50. Last I checked it came in at #65, right above Louisville and right below Tucson.

What are you checking?

[damonsmuz]

Here are my 2 cents. And Ive flown out of many airports.

The hallway from The Parking Garage as many have mentioned is small market. I'd love for them to do something similar to what Detroit Metro has with the lights. Those are cool and give the airport an awesome feel. If you don't know what I am talking about, do a youtube search.

The baggage claim area does not feel like an "airport". Low ceilings.

The "Giddy Up" shuttle needs a name change. I know it's a local name thing but if you want a "Big League" feel, then naming is everything and the name "Giddy Up" bugs me. Maybe I'm the only one

[bchris02]

Giddy Up is very stereotypically OKC. They should change it if they want to present a more big league image. I swear sometimes it feels like OKC still thinks its a small town in many ways. Giddy Up is more appropriate for Branson, MO.

[bchris02]

What are you checking?

Wikipedia.

[bradh]

Quit complaining about the tunnels there is currently a request for bids for improvements out right now

[HangryHippo]

Quit complaining about the tunnels there is currently a request for bids for improvements out right now

What is there that encourages you in any way that the tunnels will be done properly this time? They sure as hell weren't done properly before.

[OUman]

A lot of people do not realize that Will Rogers Airport sits on 8,000+ acres of land. That's more than the total area of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (4,700 acres). So yeah, while the terminal maybe small, the airport itself is way more than enough size-wise. There's way more than enough space for additional expansion, not like it will be needed except in the case Oklahoma City becomes an out-of-control boomtown.

Even the runways are way more than needed, it's a blessing that this airport has three runways for the traffic levels it has. Most larger airports (mainly hubs) around the world and in the U.S. are clamouring for more runways. London Gatwick and San Diego Lindbergh Field are way busier than OKC and they have only one runway (granted, LGW built another parallel "runway" but that's only used as a taxiway these days, unless the actual runway is under maintenance since it is too close to the main runway). Gatwick handles about 60 movements per hour on a single runway. We get what, 80 or so in the entire day? Also, re-aligning the runways is not necessary at all; both main runways run north-south (90% of our prevailing winds are northerly or southerly) and then there's the crosswind runway that runs NW-SE. What's more, both main runways are already spaced wide enough apart that they already meet the FAA's parallel runway separation requirements for simultaneous landings.

[David]

I still get a kick out of people that think our airport is small.

What I get a kick out of is the idea that some people drive to Dallas to fly out of DFW. I'm not going to say it doesn't happen, but you could not pay me to do that.

[PWitty]

WRWA isn't in the upper half of the top 50 in the US. It actually doesn't even make the Top 50. Last I checked it came in at #65, right above Louisville and right below Tucson. I would consider WRWA to be a step above a small regional airport though and anybody who makes it out to be that hasn't traveled much.

I'm sure he is talking about quality, not the amount of traffic. Just because an airport has more traffic doesn't mean it is nicer.

[okcpulse]

I think some on this board are drilling OKC hard about presenting itself as "big league" and not being allowed to get away with amenities with humorous names such as the Giddy Up shuttle. While I agree we could use a name change on that shuttle, I don't think it should have anything to do with being "big league".

Honestly, why is it okay for Houston to get away with having a rodeo as its largest civic event and be "big league"? The term is being taken out of context and shouldn't be thrown around every single solitary time something is done in OKC with which someone doesn't agree.

[PhiAlpha]

I think some on this board are drilling OKC hard about presenting itself as "big league" and not being allowed to get away with amenities with humorous names such as the Giddy Up shuttle. While I agree we could use a name change on that shuttle, I don't think it should have anything to do with being "big league".

Honestly, why is it okay for Houston to get away with having a rodeo as its largest civic event and be "big league"? The term is being taken out of context and shouldn't be thrown around every single solitary time something is done in OKC with which someone doesn't agree.

Yes, BChris mainly is obsessed with the idea that OKC shouldn't market any of its western culture because it makes us look backward. I for one completely disagree and think when done in moderation (like ftw) it can be a great marketing tool.

[Bellaboo]

Wikipedia.

You actually trust Wiki ? Anyone can alter it can't they ?

[bchris02]

Yes, BChris mainly is obsessed with the idea that OKC shouldn't market any of its western culture because it makes us look backward. I for one completely disagree and think when done in moderation (like ftw) it can be a great marketing tool.

I never said that western culture shouldn't be marketted at all. "Giddy Up" on the other hand is more appropriate as the name of a ride at Frontier City or something in Branson.

[Just the facts]

Points 1-3, 7, 9 and 10 are all pretty much due to the reuse of the extisting central structure. It should have been replaced in all of this as well, but wasn't. They just put some lipstick on the pig and called it good. By them keeping so much of the old structure behind, it hurt the flow of the terminal going into the gate areas. This is why the big central FIDS screen is worthless now due to the security check points.

This is the literal and figurative heart of the problem. When they opted to reuse the existing building it messed everything up because that main building is ill-suited for the needs of a modern airport. So now not only do they need to tear it out, but everything they attached to it will need to go as well. I can't believe the Airport trust is actually contemplating attaching anything else to it. They have a cornerstone that is not capable of carrying the load.

[David]

You actually trust Wiki ? Anyone can alter it can't they ?

It's surprisingly hard to alter Wikipedia, actually. Most people who make this argument have no idea of the complicated governance structure that it has.

[AP]

You actually trust Wiki ? Anyone can alter it can't they ?

You can go try and alter it and if it isn't sourced and found to be accurate, they'll likely change it back.

[catcherinthewry]

Wikipedia.

Link? I didn't know Wikipedia was in the business of ranking the quality of airports.

[bchris02]

Honestly, why is it okay for Houston to get away with having a rodeo as its largest civic event and be "big league"? The term is being taken out of context and shouldn't be thrown around every single solitary time something is done in OKC with which someone doesn't agree.

It's because Houston is also known for being a cosmopolitan, world-class, international city that has all the amenities one would expect to go along with that. Oklahoma City at the present time simply cannot compare, even on a smaller scale.

[AP]

It's because Houston is also known for being a cosmopolitan, world-class, international city that has all the amenities one would expect to go along with that. Oklahoma City at the present time simply cannot compare, even on a smaller scale.

Just out of curiosity. Why do you come to this forum, other than an obsession with forums, if you hate being/living in OKC so much?

[CaptDave]

Here are my 2 cents. And Ive flown out of many airports.

The hallway from The Parking Garage as many have mentioned is small market. I'd love for them to do something similar to what Detroit Metro has with the lights. Those are cool and give the airport an awesome feel. If you don't know what I am talking about, do a youtube search.

The baggage claim area does not feel like an "airport". Low ceilings.

The "Giddy Up" shuttle needs a name change. I know it's a local name thing but if you want a "Big League" feel, then naming is everything and the name "Giddy Up" bugs me. Maybe I'm the only one

Those are three things I would really like to see addressed. The renovated areas of the airport are pretty good even though there are a few things that could be improved. Overall the upper section of the airport feels about right for a city the size of OKC; and the lower level is a bit of a dungeon.

[catch22]

Jacksonville has an absolute slam dunk of an airport, and they are not that much larger than ours.

[venture]

You actually trust Wiki ? Anyone can alter it can't they ?

To be fair, the aviation sections on Wikipedia are patrolled pretty tightly by a those with industry connections to ensure the info is right. Like with everything, a bad apple gets through but usually fixed pretty quickly.

[soondoc]

Here is the deal in a nutshell. I've made the statement that OKC is doing great things and improving by the day. What is has not lost however is it "small time" mentality and it hinders it from truly becoming "major league". OKC currently is among the top 30 largest cities in the country yet around 70 or so in airport size. It is a given it will never be a large hub like Dallas or Atlanta but it MUST become much more than it currently is if we are going to be viewed seriously as a major city. Their is no reason we can't have a top 30-35 type airport with more options.

People from OKC area and south do drive to DFW because of much better options and fares and who can blame them. People from north of OKC within a 45 min drive sometimes go Wichita which can take away from OKC. Until an expansion and agreements are made that give us more flights and better prices, this is what we can expect. When companies come here looking to locate or re-locate, don't for a second think they don't take things like this into consideration and I'm sure it has cost us many times in the past. We need to keep improving the quality of life and let the word spread but it is also vital to bring more people to this city for other reasons. We MUST become some type of destination spot for people to come and check out. Also, get that Convention Center and Hotel built asap instead of waiting 6 more years. Increase our convention business and it could translate into more companies coming here indirectly. OKC needs to have a big time, booming type feeling for those who arrive at our gates if they want to be taken seriously. If not, it is what it currently is, a fairly nice regional airport that is barely in the top 100. To me that is not acceptable for the #27 largest city in the country. People, please let our local and state governments hear your voices about making these bold decisions and quit playing politics with each other. We lose out when they let a film tax credit expire, we lose when we can't even have normal liquor laws because and it's blamed on safety for people. That is bull, it's a conspiracy and only a select few profit. Once again, another factor in some businesses not wanting to locate here. Finally, I shudder to think what NBA teams and their reps think when they see our airport? I find it embarrassing that they probably laugh at how tiny and "minor league" it is compared to every other team in that league. We are becoming a major league city and can achieve that with the right decisions but we have to STOP holding ourselves back with our "small town" mentality.