Home › Key Industries › Aviation and Aerospace

Aviation and Aerospace

Read the 2025 Greater OKC Aerospace Industry Economic Impact Assessment why okc is perfect for aerospace Developing aerospace talent in OKC Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit the OKC aerospace story

KEY STATS ABOUT AEROSPACE IN OKC:

Home to 338+ aerospace firms in the region.
Home to 44,539 aerospace workers in Greater Oklahoma City.
Aerospace firms produce $8.8 billion in economic output.
Aerospace companies hiring engineers in a variety of fields can receive a tax credit equal to 5-10 percent of the compensation paid to the engineer. Learn more about the Aerospace Industry Engineer Workforce Tax Credit.
Request access to the Greater Oklahoma City regional aerospace directory.

What's NEw in general OKC aerospace:

Read the Greater Oklahoma City Region Aerospace Study

Power investment supports job growth at Tinker AFB. Read more>>
Oklahoma invests in key safety technology to advance autonomous aviation. Read more>>
AAR expansion brings new jobs and added capacity to OKC aviation. Read more>>
From Global Defense Tech to Oklahoma City: How MyDefence Is Building Its U.S. Presence. Read more>>
Partnerships build pathways for OKC's future workforce. Read more>>

How can we help you?

The Greater Oklahoma City Partnership assists aviation and aerospace companies who are expanding their operations and considering the region for a new investment. Our business development and research teams can help you with data collection, site selection, incentive requirements and other areas of need for your evaluation process. For questions or assistance, please contact:

Dennis Pruitt
Senior Vice President of Economic Development
405-297-8991
dpruitt@okcchamber.com

Roots in the Air

In Oklahoma City, aerospace is not an upstart industry or a hope for the future. Aviation is in our DNA. Since Wiley Post, a native Oklahoman, made history with the first solo flight around the world in 1933, Oklahoma has been on the cutting edge of aviation.

The numbers speak for themselves with more than 338 public- and private-sector aviation and aerospace firms in OKC that employee more than 45,539 workers and an output of $8.8 billion.

The story of aerospace in Oklahoma City is more than raw numbers and size. The story of aerospace in Oklahoma City is also about diversity.

Private Sector Growth

The biggest names in aerospace have operations in Oklahoma City, including Boeing Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed Martin Aircraft, Northrop Grumman, General Electric Aviation, Field Aerospace and AAR Aircraft Services. But the region’s aerospace activities are also evolving into high-growth areas like unmanned systems, where Kratos Defense & Space Solutions is establishing a strategic hub.

Kratos Defense: Proud to be in Oklahoma

The Unmanned Systems Division of San Diego-based Kratos recently opened a 100,000 square-foot production facility to build its Firejet and Valkyrie unmanned aircraft.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is continuing to develop as a key hub for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations, thanks in large part to the presence of Tinker Air Force Base. Recent estimates indicate that 78 companies employ more than 4,700 workers for these services in the Greater Oklahoma City region. These firms produce $1.3 billion in total output of goods and services annually and provide more than $370 million in labor income to employees.

Tinker Air Force Base
The heart of aerospace in the region is Tinker Air Force Base and the men and women who complete the missions assigned to the base. Tinker is the largest single-site employer in the state and contributes more than $3 billion to the local economy annually.

Since 1941, when the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber spearheaded the donation of the first 1,440 acres for the base, Tinker and Oklahoma City have supported each other.

Today, with more than 26,960 military and civilian employees, Tinker is the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma. The installation has an annual statewide economic impact of $3.6 billion, creating an estimated 33,000 secondary jobs. The installation covers nine square miles and has 760 buildings with a building floor space of more than 15 million square feet.

Construction is underway on a depot maintenance facility that will service the KC-46A Pegasus, the military’s next generation aerial refueling aircraft. The $500-million facility is expected to lead to the creation of more than 1,300 new, high-paying jobs and open up even more potential for public-private partnerships and advantages for aerospace companies.

The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker is the nation’s largest aircraft and jet engine repair center. All U.S. Air Force engines are repaired at the ALC. It is also the primary maintenance center for bombers, refuelers and reconnaissance aircraft including the E-3 AWACS, C/KC-135, KC- 10, B-1, B-2 and B-52.

The 2.5-million-square-foot Tinker Aerospace Complex is a former General Motors plant that now houses some of the 76th Maintenance Wing operations and other Department of Defense (DOD) workloads. The complex, considered the most advanced aviation and aerospace manufacturing and production facility in the world, is the result of a $54-million bond issue passed by voters and more than $50 million in renovations by the Air Force.

Tinker is also home to six major Department of Defense, Air Force and Navy activities with critical national defense missions. In recent years, several new state of-the-art facilities have come to fruition, demonstrating once again the incredible partnership among officials, citizens and corporations statewide.

Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center is the central training facility in the U.S. for the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The center trains more than 20,000 students from across the world each year.

The Monroney Center was established in 1946 as a centralized training and logistics facility and has since expanded to serve as a multi-tenant campus employing more than 5,400 federal civilian workers and contractors. The highly-skilled workers here provide training and logistics services and other aviation safety-related and business support products and services. The center is home to the highest concentration of FAA civil servants and contractors in one location outside of Washington D.C.

Will Rogers International Airport
Will Rogers International Airport serves as a critical transportation and economic engine for Oklahoma City. With three major runways — including two 9,800-foot parallel runways and a 7,800-foot crosswind runway — the airport can accommodate nearly any size aircraft. Seven commercial carriers operate at the airport, offering an average of 69 daily departures and serving 4.6 million passengers in 2024.

The airport also supports a strong aerospace and federal presence, with 70 companies employing nearly 12,000 people on-site. Major tenants include the FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, AAR Aircraft Services–Oklahoma, Field Aerospace, Atlantic Aviation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Transfer Center, U.S. Customs & Border Protection National Air Training Center, Metro Tech Aviation Career Center and SkyWest Airlines.

Oklahoma City’s aerospace sector is as varied as it is large. In Oklahoma City, aviation is our business.

A Look at the Industry in our Region

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber recently commissioned a study on the breadth and impact of Aerospace on the Greater Oklahoma City region. To learn more about this study, contact:

Dennis Pruitt
Senior Vice President of Economic Development
405-297-8991
dpruitt@okcchamber.com

Now available: Greater Oklahoma City regional aerospace directory
Need a password? Contact us!