2024 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[CPin405]

I don't even think the customs center has staff yet. And we've heard nothing about any future routes.

And that article reads as one had already been secured for Tulsa, just can't be announced until the customs center is built. OKC has nothing like that ready to announce, and the customs center has been ready for years.

I posed in last year's thread that the OKC airport put out for bids to finish the international arrival area of the recently completed expansion. In the paperwork, it said that the CBP promised to staff the center once the build out was complete to their standards.

Will Rogers is already ahead of Tulsa in that the space is built, just needs to be finished out and they have an assurance that it will be staffed. And staffing is up to CBP. The airport, nor the much maligned airport director have any say in that.

Finally, an airline will only offer international routes if it makes business sense for them.

[Richard at Remax]

I was about to say, I'm pretty sure OKC already has this, just needs to be finished out and staffed. I didn't read it as they had something lined up already, just that they are marketing it to carriers.

[BG918]

I was about to say, I'm pretty sure OKC already has this, just needs to be finished out and staffed. I didn't read it as they had something lined up already, just that they are marketing it to carriers.

Correct. This expansion gives TUL the ability to have international flights. OKC will also have that ability once they finish the buildout of the CBP facility that was added in the last expansion.

I have no idea which airline would offer international service at either airport. The best bet would be by Allegiant if their JV with VivaAerobus happens. I could see 2x weekly flights to places like Cancun, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. Frontier is another possibility. I just don't see any of the legacy carriers offering point-to-point international service from OKC/TUL.

[PhiAlpha]

Our airport director is at it again!!!

[PoliSciGuy]

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/bu...ome-the-latest

Tulsa really is likely to mess around and get an international flight before OKC...

Not really? As others have said they're actually behind OKC since we already have these facilities or will have them before Tulsa. Nothing in that article says anything is imminent other than a quote from the architectural company that "flights will be landing in 5 years," which seems aspirational/PR talk than anything concrete. In fact the article stresses that the airport is reaching out to airlines, not vice versa, about trying to get a flight.

[chssooner]

Not really? As others have said they're actually behind OKC since we already have these facilities or will have them before Tulsa. Nothing in that article says anything is imminent other than a quote from the architectural company that "flights will be landing in 5 years," which seems aspirational/PR talk than anything concrete. In fact the article stresses that the airport is reaching out to airlines, not vice versa, about trying to get a flight.

There have been multiple articles just like that in the Tulsa newspaper. Either there is nothing to talk about in Tulsa, or there is a lot of movement behind the scenes and likely an LOI of some kind with an airline for an international flight or 2 as soon as able. OKC's customs center hasn't been finished, and has been stagnant, for well over a year, with no signs of movement happening anytime soon.

[Soonerinfiniti]

Interesting reply from the Tulsa Airport Facebook page:

Hi, everyone! A few more details for you all, as we've seen some questions and comments. We have always had international flights here at TUL, as the CBP does already have a presence here. The international flights now are just cargo or private charters currently. After this new customs facility is added to our existing terminal and opens in Fall 2025, then the CBP would be able to clear commercial international flights. The most likely first few nonstop international flights that airlines would add would be Cancun or Cabo, as those two cities have the highest demand. On average, we have 115 passengers traveling from Tulsa to Mexico daily. 32% of TUL’s daily international traffic is to Mexico, the highest share of any country, followed by Canada at 8%, UK at 5%, and Italy at 4%. All other countries are 3% or less.

[chssooner]

Interesting reply from the Tulsa Airport Facebook page:

Hi, everyone! A few more details for you all, as we've seen some questions and comments. We have always had international flights here at TUL, as the CBP does already have a presence here. The international flights now are just cargo or private charters currently. After this new customs facility is added to our existing terminal and opens in Fall 2025, then the CBP would be able to clear commercial international flights. The most likely first few nonstop international flights that airlines would add would be Cancun or Cabo, as those two cities have the highest demand. On average, we have 115 passengers traveling from Tulsa to Mexico daily. 32% of TUL’s daily international traffic is to Mexico, the highest share of any country, followed by Canada at 8%, UK at 5%, and Italy at 4%. All other countries are 3% or less.

Would love to see this kind of info from our city airport. But doubt we will. Being proactive hasn't been a thing for a while there.

[DelCamino]

Would love to see this kind of info from our city airport. But doubt we will. Being proactive hasn't been a thing for a while there.

Ugh. Time and again it's been proven you don't know what the heck you're talking about, on most threads, but esp this one. You post comments that read with such certainty but like clockwork, you're exposed for not knowing anything about the topic. Even when you're confronted with info from members who do have actual operational knowledge of the airport and how the system works, you continue to circle the drain.

Once again, Will Rogers built a customs/processing/receiving space in the lower level of the new addition. It is currently being built-out, ready for operations the last QR 2024 (per Airport Trust meetings). TUL is proposing to construct an entire new addition to process such flights and construction hasn't yet started. As for airport management not being pro-active, why don't you do something positive and find the data on Mexico passengers from OKC yourself, instead of continually being a gadfly.

Tell us, what is your airport management background that gives you such insight on how to airlines determine their routes? Did you apply for the position of Executive Director, only to be denied? I guess it's easier to stomp your feet and hold your breath...

[CPin405]

Would love to see this kind of info from our city airport. But doubt we will. Being proactive hasn't been a thing for a while there.

I presented to you facts from the minutes of the Airport trust meeting. The build out for the international arrivals is happening, not just a plan. And because TUL posts something on Facebook doesn't mean they have any deal signed.

You were doubting Pete in regard to the Olympic events here in OKC, yet are claiming movement behind the scenes that Tulsa will be getting international flights. I don't know about you, but I trust Pete's sourcing over guessing. The Olympic events WILL happen in 2028 and Tulsa MAY get international flights in a few years.

Does it really matter in the end who gets international flights first? It just seems like you have something against the leadership of the OKC airport and I don't really understand why.

This reminds me of the grousing when Tulsa would get some retail store or restaurant to open there first. Sometimes the numbers just work better at the time for that to happen and lately OKC has been getting more of first to state or only in state options to open here first.

These sorts of things take time and there is indeed a lot going on behind the scenes.

[PhiAlpha]

There have been multiple articles just like that in the Tulsa newspaper. Either there is nothing to talk about in Tulsa, or there is a lot of movement behind the scenes and likely an LOI of some kind with an airline for an international flight or 2 as soon as able. OKC's customs center hasn't been finished, and has been stagnant, for well over a year, with no signs of movement happening anytime soon.

Post links to the ones that indicate that there is anything like this going on.

[ditm4567]

My wife and I recently flew JSX (https://www.jsx.com/home/search) out of Dallas Love Field over the holidays--extremely impressed. Out of curiosity, I emailed JSX to see if they had any intent on expanding operations to either KOKC or KPWA--unfortunately not at this time.

[DelCamino]

December 2023 passenger boarding/emplanement report released today.

2023 total passenger count: 4,400,049. Passenger count has virtually recovered from 2019 pre-pandemic record high of 4,419,119.

[gopokes88]

2023 Review 2024 Preview out. https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...%20Preview.pdf

Just bad communication over there by the that airport director.

[gopokes88]

"Logo/Brand Update – Underway and complete 1st Qt 2024"

That was fast

Gate swaps might be coming soon. "Airline Rates – New airline lease negotiation underway and complete 2nd
QT 2024"

[gopokes88]

December here https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...nplanement.pdf

[HOT ROD]

as I had suspected. Now, let's push for 5 million and never lower.

And, happy to hear about the gate swaps. American or WN deserves those East gates more than DL.

[Mississippi Blues]

I’ve mentioned in the past I usually fly on Delta and I love the new east gates but assuming Delta does lose those, I won’t be sad at all. I can only speak to the times I’m there but it seems like there’s never more than 2 gates being used at the same time. I’d be very surprised if the area as a whole is more than 1/3 in-use, even during the morning flights. Everyone knows that but even being biased towards Delta, they fumbled big time with the new gates.

[PhiAlpha]

"Logo/Brand Update – Underway and complete 1st Qt 2024"

That was fast

Gate swaps might be coming soon. "Airline Rates – New airline lease negotiation underway and complete 2nd
QT 2024"

So the rebrand was what I thought it was and not an attempt to change the name to the Oklahoma City International Airport of Oklahoma or something like that lol. Good to know.

[HOT ROD]

hasnt been announced/released yet. You can BET that Oklahoma City or OKC will be part of the branding, and World will be dropped.

[PhiAlpha]

hasnt been announced/released yet. You can BET that Oklahoma City or OKC will be part of the branding, and World will be dropped.

What are you basing that on? My guess is that neither is happening. Nothing I’ve seen or heard indicates that that rebranding means renaming in this case.

[therhett17]

I just want an updated website that's not from 2010

[whatitis]

I just want an updated website that's not from 2010

I can't believe it is still so outdated on the map.

[Paule4ou]

hasnt been announced/released yet. You can BET that Oklahoma City or OKC will be part of the branding, and World will be dropped.

“International” or “World” will absolutely be in the updated name…..especially with the new CBP facility and push for international routes.

Dallas-Fort Worth INTERNATIONAL Airport
Austin Bergstrom INTERNATIONAL Airport
Kansas City INTERNATIONAL Airport
St Louis Lambert INTERNATIONAL Airport
George Bush INTERCONTINENTAL Airport

[Zorba]

When did WRWA switch from Delaware North to Paradies? I think Paradies is the main reason there has been a huge improvement. I wish they would takeover F&B operations at TUL which look like WRWA 5 years ago

Man, if it used to be Delaware North, I'm shocked that the Thunder can still put OKC on logo wear without paying them a huge royalty.


(Context: Delaware North files for trademarks for everything they have anything to do with, even if they had nothing to do with creation of those trademarks, see Yosemite National Park and Space Shuttle Atlantis.)