Reaching for the sky

Oklahoma City and aerospace go hand-in-hand, but if you are new to OKC you might not fully appreciate how important the industry is to our current economy.

Most people will recognize the major players in Oklahoma City’s aerospace industry, like the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base and its partnerships with private companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney to operate the largest aircraft and jet repair center in the U.S. Another star performer is the FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, whose 5,500 employees provide aviation training and logistics support to the nation’s aerospace system. And Oklahoma City’s educational institutions in the region have close and frequent interaction with these industry professionals, laying the foundation for further growth.

Most recently Kratos Defense announced they will be building a new facility in Oklahoma City that will build jet-powered unmanned aircraft. The new 75,000-square-foot facility will employee more than 350 workers.

All of these factors combine to make aerospace one of the key drivers of our region’s economy. It supports more than 85,000 workers and the production of $7.3 billion in goods and services in Oklahoma City alone. On a state level, aviation is Oklahoma’s top foreign export and accounts for a staggering 10 percent of our state’s economy. Oklahoma is one of the top 10 states nationally in traditional aerospace employment.