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ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA
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WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT HAS BEGUN UPGRADES AND EXPANSION THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. RENDERING COURTESY WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT
Airports in Oklahoma are only going up.
klahoma’s travels options are soaring with upgrades and additional routes at the state’s two major airfields – Tulsa International Airport and Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport. Will Rogers needs more airline gates and has launched a $89 million expansion as animated renderings, engineering and other plans are finalized by the airport trust, says Karen Carney, the airport’s public information and marketing manager. Those clamoring for space include low-cost Frontier Airlines, based in Denver and returning to OKC, and Alaska Airlines, a new carrier to the city. Recently added nonstop routes include Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Charlotte and Reagan Washington National, the last of which has been long-sought by Oklahoma Citians. Carney says the expansion gives a good first impres-
sion of Oklahoma, meets the community’s needs and reflects “all the many good things happening in the metro area.” She adds that airlines offering additional routes need more gates. One flex gate accommodates various operations; with anticipated growth, four new gates – with the ability to add more – are in expansion plans. Competition among airports to entice carriers for the same routes means big carriers want to know a city can support the market with continuing growth, improved infrastructure and new businesses. OKC’s expansion falls under Transportation Security Administration guidelines for airport design, a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. There will be a single, streamlined, centralized check point to transform the existing space, which was never intended for doffing shoes and standing in long lines. NOVEMBER 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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