Economic stimulus to benefit local airports
by Heather Caliendo
The Journal Record
February 20, 2009

TULSA – The national economic stimulus package may help some of Oklahoma
airports’ capital projects take flight.

The 100 general aviation airports in the Oklahoma Airport System will
receive up to $10 million in federal funds, said Vic Bird, director of the
Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission. In addition, Will Rogers World Airport,
Tulsa International Airport and Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport will get
$6 million to $10 million, with Will Rogers and Tulsa sharing about 70
percent of the money.Bird said the Federal Aviation Administration will
treat the additional deposit into the Airport Improvement Program as
discretionary funds. The FAA’s Southwest region will get about $100 million
of the $1.1 billion that is allocated to airports.

“We think we will do very well because of some very competent planning and
programming, and our past performance with respect to discretionary funds,”
he said. “We should do better than any other state except Texas because of
its sheer size and number of airports.”

The airports would have received more money under the first version of the
House bill. That version would have allocated about $3 billion, with
Oklahoma airports receiving about $30 million.

In December, the OAC sent a list to the FAA of more than $40 million worth
of airport projects in Oklahoma that were eligible for the stimulus money.
Bird said, because of the stimulus package, some of the projects will be
completed between 2009 and 2010, instead of waiting until 2012.

“We were ecstatic with the House bill, but still pleased with the final
Senate bill,” Bird said. “We get a nice little present here, but
unfortunately not as much as we hoped for.”

The terms for the stimulus package won’t allow the funds to go toward
terminal renovations, so the funds will generally be used for airfield
projects, said Mark Kranenburg, director of airports at Will Rogers World
Airport.

Most of these projects include runway or taxiway construction and
rehabilitation.

Jeff Hough, deputy director of facilities and engineering at Tulsa
International Airport, said the big benefit of the stimulus package is for
airfield projects.

“It will go toward runway, taxiway and the roads that serve the airport,”
he said. “We will work on roadway rehabilitation and parking lots expansion
for Tulsa International.”

Natalie Shirley, Oklahoma secretary of commerce and tourism, said the
stimulus funds could provide additional money for training and
re-employment services for dislocated workers and to train existing staff.

“The stimulus funds have the potential to benefit all Oklahoma industries,”
said Shirley in an e-mail. “And as the stimulus funds help boost the
nation’s economy, the aerospace industry as a whole will likely see the
benefits.”

In the early ‘90s when the country was going through a milder recession,
Bird said the aerospace industry took a major hit and had to reduce much of
its work force.

“There is a missing generation of aerospace employees in their mid- to
late-‘30s – that generation is just gone,” he said. “We are having a
difficult time attracting young employees. That is our most critical
challenge facing aerospace in our state.”

Compared to other states, Bird said, Oklahoma has been fortunate that it
hasn’t suffered as many industry layoffs. But Oklahoma aerospace companies
are not immune to the economic storm.

Tulsa-based Nordam Group cut 200 jobs, and Limco-Piedmont recently
announced it was moving out of the state, eliminating 150 local jobs.

Still, the maintenance, repair and overhaul services are still providing
steady business for Oklahoma, Bird said.

“I think what you will be seeing is very efficient trimming rather than
drastic cuts,” Bird said.

“Airlines, businesses and individual pilots are going to keep their
aircrafts longer. Those aircrafts are going to need maintenance and they
are going to need parts. That’s a benefit for us.”