Economic Development Flies High at Stillwater Regional Airport
airport, business, economic development,
Corporate executives who are looking to invest in Stillwater can easily fly in and out of the city, which is why Stillwater Regional Airport is a big part of the overall economic development thrust of this community.
Airport director Gary Johnson likes to say Stillwater Regional is the front door to the community and a gateway to the world.
“The corporate sector is the primary user of this airport, and 80 private aircraft are located here on our grounds,” Johnson says. “And for any out-of-town developers looking to invest in Stillwater, the airport is their first and last impression of our city.”
Located in northern Stillwater, the regional airport began in 1945 as a military training facility and then was purchased by the city the following year. The city has owned and operated the airfield ever since.
“Some of the companies and entities with aircraft based here include Special Energy Corp., LBR Engineering, Falcon Air Services and Oklahoma State University,” Johnson says. “We fly all of the OSU sports teams in and out of Stillwater Regional, and the university also operates their own flight school on site for students who want to earn aviation-related degrees.”
The airport features two large runways and has the capacity to land large 757 airliners, either passenger or cargo. A life-flight helicopter service is also based at the site.
“We don’t yet have any commercial airlines flying out of Stillwater, but at a population of barely under 50,000, we have just about enough people to start attracting one of the big carriers,” Johnson says.
“In the meantime, we will take care of all the corporate flights by providing 24-hour weather service along with air traffic control that operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 365 days a year.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
