Eastern Oklahoma Airport To Add New Terminal

Oklahoma’s Okmulgee Regional Airport (KOKM) has broken ground on a new terminal, which will be its first purpose-built passenger facility.

Previously, the airport in the eastern part of the state had used some offices attached to a former private 6,000-sq-ft hangar. According to city manager Rickey Pearson, several years ago its owner had given the 1960s-vintage facility, which can accommodate up to midsize jets, back to the city after they had sold their airplane.

“This new terminal will be something the entire Okmulgee community can be proud of,” said Okmulgee mayor Mickey Baldwin. “For many people who arrive here by air, this airport is their first impression of our city.”

The 4,000-sq-ft terminal will include a pilot lounge and conference room. Expected to take a year to construct, the $2.5 million project—paid for by a mix of $600,000 in federal grants, $950,000 from the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA), and $950,000 from the City of Okmulgee—will also include a new parking lot, improved lighting, and drainage improvements, along with new fencing and a motorized gate. 

“We’re not simply building a new terminal; we’re giving Okmulgee Regional Airport the infrastructure it needs to better serve businesses, pilots, and visitors for decades to come,” said Nick Young, ODAA’s airports division manager. “With nearly $1 million in state funding supporting this project, Oklahoma is continuing to invest in a statewide airport system that connects our communities and creates opportunities for economic growth.”