Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, named for the famed Oklahoma humorist, includes a strong mix of regional and mainline carriers.  It is also home to the Mike Monroney Aeronatutical Center, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) organizational complex employing the largest number of Department of Transportation employees outside of Washington, DC. It was around 1927 when Oklahoma City created its first airport. It has grown rapidly since that time.

What began as a passenger and airmail service evolved into a major business complex with a profound economic impact on Oklahoma City and the rest of the State.

The airport, one of the 10 largest in the country in land area, is situated on just over 8,000 acres and serves seven major airlines, two regional airlines and a number of charter services. It has passenger traffic that averages approximately three million annually. It can accommodate any size aircraft with its two 9,800 ft. parallel runways and one 7,800 ft. crosswind runway. Commercial carriers average 76 departures per day.

It is home to a total of 67 companies including the Federal Bureau of Prisons Transfer Center, the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, Southwest Airlines Reservation Center and the Metro Tech Aviation Career Center. It also encompasses Oklahoma City's Foreign Trade Zone, making it an ideal location for businesses wishing to develop facilities for manufacturing and assembly.

A major expansion and improvement project that began in 2001 and estimated at a cost of $100 million is expected to be completed in late 2005 or early 2006.

Source: www.flyokc.com