Tulsa International Airport Adding FlightsOctober 30, 2008 – According to the Tulsa World, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are adding capacity in November at Tulsa International Airport.
The World reports American is bringing three additional daily flights and 240 additional seats to Tulsa starting Nov. 2. American currently operates 15 flights at day at Tulsa International.
Southwest Airlines, which offers 20 flights a day Sunday through Friday and 12 flights on Saturday at Tulsa International, will add two daily roundtrip flights to Denver starting Nov. 2, according to the World. Former OKC GM Plant Now Part of Tinker Aerospace ComplexOctober 29, 2008 – According to The Oklahoman, the former General Motors plant in south Oklahoma City is now officially part of the Tinker Aerospace Complex.
Sen. Jim Inhofe and Rep. Mary Fallin, along with military officials were on hand this week for a ceremony celebrating the lease of the abandoned GM plant to Tinker. Earlier this year, Oklahoma County voters approved a $55 million bond issue that allowed the county to buy the plant from GM. American Airlines Order for Boeing Dreamliners Expected to Help Tulsa’s EconomyOctober 16, 2008 -- According to the Tulsa World, American Airlines has agreed to acquire 42 fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliners with initial deliveries in 2012.
The World reports American's commitment to the 787 will have a favorable economic impact in Tulsa, where 1,800 employees of Spirit AeroSystems Inc. fabricate 2,100 pounds of composite leading edges and 1,700 pounds of movable leading edges for each of the twin-engine Dreamliners. TCC Launches Air Traffic Training ProgramOctober 6, 2008 -- The Oklahoman reports Tulsa Community College (TCC) is one of eight schools to recently add to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program.
The program helps prepare students who aspire to become an air traffic controller. Graduates who are selected by the FAA for air traffic jobs must then attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, according to The Oklahoman. Nordam Aiming to Strengthen Military PortfolioSeptember 23, 2008 – The Journal Record reports the Nordam Group has hired retired Brig. Gen. Frank Bruno to double its military sales.
"Frank’s 29 years in the military has him more than qualified to lead an aftermarket sales effort,"says Steve McLarty, Vice President of North America Sales and Military in an interview with the Journal Record. "He also has maintenance and operation background that aligns with our effort with the field." Tulsa Aerospace Firm Reports Strong Demand and Record Quarterly EarningsAugust 15, 2008 – According to the Tulsa World, LMI Aerospace Inc., an aerospace manufacturer with a plant in Tulsa and distribution center at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, says demand from its major customers is growing as the company reports record quarterly earnings.
LMI provides structural components, design engineering services, assemblies and kits to the aerospace, defense and technology industries. American Airlines Shifting More Work to TulsaAugust 15, 2008 -- The Tulsa World reports according to company officials American Airlines' Maintenance & Engineering (M&E) Center in Tulsa will maintain Boeing 757 aircraft being transferred from the carrier's Kansas City maintenance base beginning early next year.
Work on the Boeing 767 could also be moved to Tulsa in the near future as well. Ground Broken for New American Airlines Hangar in TulsaJuly 15, 2008 -- A ceremonial groundbreaking was recently held to mark the first aircraft maintenance hangar to be built at the Tulsa International Airport in 20 years. The new $10 million hangar will belong to American Airlines.
"American Airlines is the largest private employer in the state," says Carmine Romano, American's Senior Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering. "American Airlines is the only U.S. airline that remains committed to keeping aircraft maintenance in house from engines, landing gears, aircraft overhauls and avionics components, as well as aircraft maintenance for companies around the world."
New Law Aims to Bolster Engineering Numbers with Tax IncentivesJune 20, 2008 -- A new law establishing tax credits for engineers going to work for Oklahoma companies as well as the companies that hire them is yet another reason why Oklahoma is a great place to live and do business.
The Aerospace Industry Engineer Work Force Bill was recently signed by Gov. Brad Henry.
GM Plant Lands at Tinker Air Force BaseMay 14, 2008 -- Oklahoma County voters recently approved the $55 million purchase of the shuttered General Motors Plant so it can be leased to Tinker Air Force Base.
Within 10 years, the Air Force expects to fill two-thirds of the building's space, and work with private contractors to fill the rest, which could mean more jobs for aerospace contractors and sub-contractors across the state.
The new plant will help Tinker attract new missions from the U.S. Department of Defense and remain the state's largest single-site employer. Tinker plans to use the facility for airplane maintenance, among other things. Aerospace Industry Study Oklahoma will likely experience shortages of approximately 200 Aerospace Engineers and 400 Electrical Engineers by 2014, with shortages of additional engineering specialties possible in that same time frame, according to an industry report released today by the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development. The Aerospace Industry Report, the second of a series of selected sectors, assesses supply and demand and provides a gap analysis of the current and future workforce needs of Oklahoma's aerospace industry.
 Oklahoma Aerospace Industry Workforce Report 2007
Through a survey conducted in 2006 Oklahoma's aerospace employers and industry representatives identified current and future skill needs as well as workforce supply and demand. |
Five Reasons Aerospace Firms Choose to Locate in Oklahoma1. Our workforce has a national reputation for an extraordinary level of proficiency, productivity and reliability with attractive labor costs. 2. Outstanding incentives that include cash back for jobs created and free, customized training for qualifying companies. 3. Top-ranked, state-of-the-art university and career-skills training, specifically for the aerospace industry. 4. Recognized as a U.S. leader in advanced resesarch and technology resources. 5. More than 80 million people and some of America's fastest-growing markets can be found within 500 miles of Oklahoma's Borders. Aerospace Industry Cluster ReportA joint effort of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, and Governor's Council on Workforce and Economic Development produced a series of analyses of the 2004 employment in the ten largest employing industries for 12 regions covering the entire state of Oklahoma. Click on the link below to view Oklahoma's Aerospace Industry Cluster Analysis. Aerospace Cluster Report
State Aerospace Directory Available for DownloadYou may know American Airlines, Pratt
& Whitney, and Honeywell LORI have a presence in Oklahoma, but what about
Delta Airlines, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Raytheon? These are
among the 300-plus aviation industry companies that have found Oklahoma a great
place to do business. Download your copy of the Oklahoma Aerospace Directory
today.
 Oklahoma Aerospace Directory Contact:Dennis Altendorf
405-815-5250
800-879-6552 | 
Famed Oklahoma aviator, Wiley Post dreamed of flight from the moment he saw his first airplane soar through the skies above Lawton nearly a century ago. With determination, smarts and hard work, Post’s boyhood dreams became a reality and took him on the first-ever, solo flight around the world. That same spirit drives Oklahoma’s aerospace industry today. More than 300 aerospace-related companies generating an industrial output of more than billion each year operate in Oklahoma, and more are coming all the time. Why? Because Oklahoma offers a range of advantages and incentives to aerospace companies that are difficult to match anywhere else in the world.
