OKLAHOMA CITY - The Stillwater Regional Airport can now bring in the
"big boys," thanks to a recently completed runway project that was paid for
by federal stimulus money.

City and state officials and long-time supporters of the airport as well
as kindergartners from Stillwater's Sangre Ridge Elementary School gathered
earlier this week to celebrate the official grand re-opening of Runway
17-35.

Work on rehabilitating the runway began June 1 and was completed almost
three months later, just in time for Oklahoma State University's first
home football game of the 2009 season against Georgia. The new concrete
overlay was paid for by a $5.9 million Federal Aviation Administration grant as
part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Airport Manager Gary Johnson said one of the things that excited him
about the project was that it was completed on time and under budget. He said
the airport's new runway would now be able to accommodate much larger
aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 747.

State Rep. Cory Williams and state Sen. James Halligan, OSU's former
president, provided opening remarks during the dedication ceremony.
Johnson presented some of the project partners, including the Oklahoma
Aeronautics Commission, TTK Construction Co., Inc.and airport consultant LBR, Inc.,
with plaques and purple ribbons recognizing their "hands-on" efforts
surrounding the project.

"When you have partners like that, you can get things done. And
everybody pulling in the same direction helped make this happen. I am very proud
of what has been accomplished here," Johnson said.

Fighting strong, southerly winds and donning their own pair of scissors,
the kindergartners joined Johnson, Stillwater Mayor Nathan Bates and
others on the runway for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"I want to congratulate the City of Stillwater, in particular airport
manager Gary Johnson and his staff, for the hard work they put in
throughout the process to get the runway completed," said Aeronautics
Commission Director Victor Bird. "Stillwater Regional Airport is an
important economic development tool for the city and the region. And
with this new and improved runway, Stillwater is poised to attract more
business and industry into the area."

Stillwater Regional Airport was one of six state airports in the state
to receive ARRA funds totaling $16.4 million for various capital
improvement projects. Also receiving ARRA grants were Bartlesville Regional Airport,
Okmulgee Municipal Airport, Pauls Valley Municipal Airport, Wiley Post
Airport and Will Rogers World Airport.

Oklahoma has 114 publicly owned airports, placing it fourth nationally
forthe number of public airports per capita. A total of 41 of those
airports are jet capable, meaning their runways are at least 5,000 feet long, the
minimum distance needed by most jet aircraft to safely land or take off.
Approximately 93 percent of the state's population lives within 25 miles
of an airport with a jet-capable runway.