Design for New Stillwater Regional Airport Terminal is Released

[Bunty]

Building to be 31,275 ft. with a lot of glass: https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/we...00246066f.html

[dwellsokc]

I've seen better design and presentation from architecture students... Depending on occupant load, the floor plan appears to have some egress issues.

[catch22]

Not an uncommon floor plan for a small airport. It has a similar (but much smaller) layout to Gainesville Airport in Florida.

[Plutonic Panda]

What the f@ck

[fortpatches]

Why would the flow of people going towards security go against the flow of people heading to ticketing? I thought it was usually more linear.

[Swake]

The airport has something like two planes a day. This is fine. Good for Stillwater.

[Bunty]

Stillwater Regional Airport’s New Director Selected: https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/ke...a25f5381a.html

[Richard at Remax]

Stillwater Regional Airport’s New Director Selected: https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/ke...a25f5381a.html

I bet he could get nonstops to BOS and SFO /s

[gopokes88]

I bet he could get nonstops to BOS and SFO /s

Perfect post

[oklip955]

My question is, what will be the traffic through there is say 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 20 yrs? Are they planning for increases over time? Now 2 flights, maybe 6 flights or more in 10 yrs. Maybe a hub for northern Oklahoma instead of folks driving to Okc or Tulsa? Just a thought.

[scottk]

My question is, what will be the traffic through there is say 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 20 yrs? Are they planning for increases over time? Now 2 flights, maybe 6 flights or more in 10 yrs. Maybe a hub for northern Oklahoma instead of folks driving to Okc or Tulsa? Just a thought.

Stillwater may have service similar to Lawton in the next few years. AA may add an extra flight or two to DFW if demand is there. I don't know if they (AA) have any exclusives with the city of Stillwater, but as for other airlines, maybe United would jump in with a flight to Denver. I don't see much growth outside of that. Does SWO's runway support planes larger than a regional jet? If not, Denver and Dallas seem to be ideal, I think Chicago would be a stretch, especially since AA traffic is being routed through DFW.

As for a mini hub, if you live in Enid or Ponca City, it's probably worth a drive to SWO over TUL/OKC if you are flying AA anyways and can get a comparable fare. I don't think SWO charges for parking and you can get from your car to the gate in probably 7 minutes. No need to show up 90 minutes before your flight. Also makes the drive back home quicker when you land.

[catch22]

The best chance of United was about 4 years ago pre-COVID. United was aggressively adding 50 seat markets to Denver to increase network depth. With the pilot shortage and the drawdown of 50 seaters I would rate it as highly unlikely.

[Richard at Remax]

If United I would probably guess Houston vs Denver

[scottk]

Stillwater is close to 50,000 residents. Similar to Manhattan KS in size and purpose, these flights are there to greatly aid in usage primarily by OSU and K-State. Is it convenient for residents of Payne County? Sure.

Manhattan is even further away than Stillwater from the new KCI. With Stillwater having Will Rogers Airport and Tulsa International both just over an hour away, there isn't much more need than DFW or DEN to ultimately connect you to American or United hubs.

[gopokes88]

3 flights a day to Dallas is fantastic.

I know Burns Hargis wanted Denver and Chicago in the longer term but Covid killed that.

[catch22]

3 flights a day is fantastic, because that also means it can be a likely survivor of the pending shutdown of 50-seat regional operations in the USA. No more CRJ’s, ERJ145, are being produced and no 50 seat replacement is in the pipeline. A lot of cities across the country over the next 10-15 years are going to be left to Greyhound as major airlines retire out the old 50-seat aircraft from their networks. Even some of the youngest models are approaching 20 years old and are very well abused. They are expensive and so are the pilots to fly them. The future is 76 seats or more. If Stillwater can profitably fill 150 seats at a 3x frequency they should be okay with a reduction to 2x on larger aircraft.

Not something that is pressing today, but in 3-4 more years this will continue to be a major concern for the small communities.

[PhiAlpha]

3 flights a day is fantastic, because that also means it can be a likely survivor of the pending shutdown of 50-seat regional operations in the USA. No more CRJ’s, ERJ145, are being produced and no 50 seat replacement is in the pipeline. A lot of cities across the country over the next 10-15 years are going to be left to Greyhound as major airlines retire out the old 50-seat aircraft from their networks. Even some of the youngest models are approaching 20 years old and are very well abused. They are expensive and so are the pilots to fly them. The future is 76 seats or more. If Stillwater can profitably fill 150 seats at a 3x frequency they should be okay with a reduction to 2x on larger aircraft.

Not something that is pressing today, but in 3-4 more years this will continue to be a major concern for the small communities.

Thats really interesting. Had no idea that was coming down the pike.

[gopokes88]

Me either. Thank you for the information.

Hope you never leave the board Catch.

Would by A220 or E-175 be the next leg up?

[catch22]

CRJ700 (which are also no longer produced and getting long in the tooth) and E175 are the next step up and will be the regional industry going forward. Very few operators will have less than 65 or 70 seats. A220 a bit too big (heavy) for the regional landscape. The problem is: Can Stillwater, Salina KS, Champaigne IL, etc support a first class product?

[BG918]

LAW has 4x/daily to DFW on AA. DL tried ATL about 15 years ago but it didn't last long. I don't think they ever had IAH or DEN on UA but may be wrong. I think 2x/daily to DFW on larger aircraft is probably all Stillwater can handle for at least the next decade with OKC/TUL just over an hour away

[Bunty]

LAW has 4x/daily to DFW on AA. DL tried ATL about 15 years ago but it didn't last long. I don't think they ever had IAH or DEN on UA but may be wrong. I think 2x/daily to DFW on larger aircraft is probably all Stillwater can handle for at least the next decade with OKC/TUL just over an hour away

More flights to more cities all depend on how much money OSU and Stillwater have available to subsidize the airline or airlines for empty seats. To make fewer empty seats more likely, it's unfortunate how flights to DFW after starting in 2016 haven't worked well to attract industry to Stillwater. The new magnet plant, USA Rare Earth, will only employ 100 when it opens later this year. The Armstrong plant is still vacant. There is not much industrial growth in Ponca City and Enid, either. Don't know what it will take to attract industry short of generous bribery.

[gopokes88]

CRJ700 (which are also no longer produced and getting long in the tooth) and E175 are the next step up and will be the regional industry going forward. Very few operators will have less than 65 or 70 seats. A220 a bit too big (heavy) for the regional landscape. The problem is: Can Stillwater, Salina KS, Champaigne IL, etc support a first class product?

They're flying CRJ-700s right now if I'm not mistaken (maybe 900s?) with a first class.

[gopokes88]

More flights to more cities all depend on how much money OSU and Stillwater have available to subsidize the airline or airlines for empty seats. To make fewer empty seats more likely, it's unfortunate how flights to DFW after starting in 2016 haven't worked well to attract industry to Stillwater. The new magnet plant, USA Rare Earth, will only employ 100 when it opens later this year. The Armstrong plant is still vacant. There is not much industrial growth in Ponca City and Enid, either. Don't know what it will take to attract industry short of generous bribery.

100 employees in a town of "50,000" is a significant presence. It's only been 7 years as well. Economies don't grow that fast.

[catch22]

They're flying CRJ-700s right now if I'm not mistaken (maybe 900s?) with a first class.

I admittedly don’t keep up with things in Oklahoma like I used to, so I missed that! Great news if so!

[Bunty]

100 employees in a town of "50,000" is a significant presence. It's only been 7 years as well. Economies don't grow that fast.

It far from makes up for back when Mercury Marine employed up to 1200. ASCO, which took over the Mercury plant, employs far from 1200. World Color Press where USA Rare Earth has taken over employed several hundred before closing. It all reflects how thanks to advances in automation factories need fewer workers these days.

The Stillwater economy has grown much faster in the past to boomtown proportions, such as from 1960 to 1980, which included the arrival of Mercury Marine among others. It led to Stillwater becoming known as a blue-collar college town. Then shortly after 1980 manufacturing jobs began a mass move to China. That nipped the boom along with the oil bust. Years later, in 2001, the passage of Right to Work did nothing to attract manufacturing jobs to Stillwater. Subsequent increase in population was mainly due to increased enrollment at OSU and new retail developments.