Legislators and agency leaders believe aerospace and aviation could become the top industry in the state.

The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission became the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics this month through Senate Bill 782, authored by state Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma House Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. The measure was passed during the 2023 legislative session.

A celebration was held at the Capitol on Thursday to acknowledge the rebrand, which went into effect Nov. 1.

The new banner will provide an opportunity to show consumers and constituents that the agency is modernizing and looking toward the future, according to an agency release.

The name change is due to the emergence of aerospace in the 21st century.

The aerospace and defense industry is the second-largest and fastest-growing industry in Oklahoma with over 206,000 jobs and a total of $44 billion in annual statewide economic activity, according to the agency website.

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