OU and the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics completed the addition of a new hangar and broke ground on an air traffic control tower project Friday morning at Max Westheimer Airport.
Hollye Hunt, OU vice president of executive affairs and chief of staff, presented details about past and current projects at the airport. Hunt said the newly constructed 10,000-square-foot hangar contributes to the growing aerospace industry in the state.
“What we have been able to produce is a world class asset for our city,” Hunt said.
Max Westheimer now has 69 hangar tenants, with plans to construct over 30 additional hangar spaces in a zone referred to as the South 24 acres.
In addition to the hangar, the university broke ground on a new 108-foot air traffic control tower adjacent to its current 42-foot tower. Hunt said the project, which costs $15.8 million, is expected to be completed in 2027.
In April 2024, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, secured $36.5 million in federal funding for the airport, contributing to the tower. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, who died in July, secured $5 million for the tower as one of his last congressional items, Hunt said.
The current tower at Max Westheimer was constructed in 1982. Hunt said the tower’s age explains why the addition is so necessary.
“It’s certainly time to have (a) new and luxury tower for all of our expansion here at this airport,” Hunt said.
Alongside building updates, Hunt discussed the OU aviation program at the hangar ribbon cutting. Hunt said the aviation program has doubled in the past two years, and the university now aims to triple its class size.
Hunt said this is made possible due to the increase in the program’s aircraft fleet, which totals 33 planes. The aviation program acquired nine planes in April 2024. At the March OU Board of Regents meeting, the board approved five additional airplanes.
“That allows us to admit 60 additional students this fall,” Hunt said. “Last fall, we added (the) air traffic control management program and became one of the first and only four-year degree programs.”
Grayson Ardies, Oklahoma Department of Aviation and Aerospace executive director, also spoke at the ceremony. Ardies said with the department having invested over $300 million to expand airports across Oklahoma, the state’s aviation industry is economically advancing.
“We are just beginning our renaissance for aviation aerospace, …” Ardies said. “I hope that they will have shown that maybe, just maybe, aerospace and defense and aviation has overtaken oil and gas and energy for being the number one economic priority in the state of Oklahoma.”
Due to the federal funding secured for the airport, Ardies said Max Westheimer will be the top airport in the state as future projects are completed.
“This hangar, these projects truly set the foundation for the future of success,” Ardies said.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure and Ismael Lele. Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
