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SWO’s New Terminal Available in 2026
(Stillwater, OK) – Stillwater Regional Airport will enhance flight amenities and options in 2026 through a new 31,375 sq. ft. new terminal that is officially under construction following the groundbreaking ceremony October 1. Federal, state and local officials gathered, along with community leaders and representatives from the aviation community, Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines to mark the occasion.
“We are elated to be celebrating this monumental development with everyone and for the opportunity to bring a world-class terminal to Stillwater,” Airport Director Kellie Reed said. “We extend our gratitude to American Airlines for eight years of commercial service in Stillwater and we look forward to many continued years of that partnership.”
American Airlines Senior Consultant, Government Affairs Dale Morris said American Airlines wants to see its eight-year partnership with Stillwater Regional Airport continue to grow. The airline wants to provide the right services for the passengers and to ensure OSU, the community and businesses continue to flourish, he said.
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce addressed the project’s significance to the community and its impact on economic development. The new terminal is the product of many years of effort, he said. The larger terminal will allow Stillwater to increase flight operations and continue to grow the region from which travelers flying in and out of Stillwater Regional Airport are drawn.
Having commercial air service in Stillwater has a significant impact on business and on Oklahoma State University for recruiting staff and students. The new terminal will only enhance that impact, Joyce said.
“It’s hard to overstate how big of a game-changer this is for us,” he said. “We’re so excited and so appreciative of all those who have made an effort to make this happen and are continuing the effort.”
ODAA Director Grayson Ardies emphasized the project’s statewide impact. "The groundbreaking of Stillwater Regional Airport’s new terminal is a significant milestone for Oklahoma's aviation and aerospace industry as a whole,” Ardies said. “This 31,000-square-foot facility will not only support the growth of air transportation for Stillwater but also contribute to our statewide efforts to enhance connectivity and foster economic development. By investing in infrastructure like this, we're ensuring that Oklahoma remains at the forefront of aviation innovation, meeting the needs of travelers and businesses alike.”
OSU Senior Vice President of System Affairs Kyle Wray said Stillwater Regional Airport is critical not just for OSU’s fast-growing aviation program, but for accessibility for the university as it continues to grow and for OSU athletics.
Congressman Frank Lucas also touched on the connection between Stillwater Regional Airport and Oklahoma State University. The university, community and state will all benefit from continued growth and development of the airport, he said.
“Let us not forget, this is a continuing process to expand the potential of this community and of our comprehensive university,” Lucas said. “It’s not just the access to the world that our athletic department needs; it’s the access to the world that our research department needs. It’s the ability of people to come to Stillwater easily, conveniently and quickly to do their business.”
Funding for the $27 million project is provided from partners including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, and the City of Stillwater.
Stillwater Regional Airport is one of only four airports in the state to offer scheduled commercial passenger air service. The new terminal replaces a building constructed in 1952 that was retrofitted for the launch of commercial air service in 2016.
Offering modern facilities with concession space and two gates, the new terminal will serve Stillwater and the surrounding region for decades to come.
“The (new) terminal was beautifully and mindfully designed with both aviation and local Stillwater influences included from the McFarland Architects team,” Reed said.
Phase I of the project consists of the new terminal building, parking lot, and a 4-lane drop off. Further roadway improvements will be in Phase II. Completion of the terminal is expected in August 2026.
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Left to right: Pistol Pete; American Airlines Senior Consultant, Government Affairs Dale Morris; Stillwater Regional Airport Director Kellie Reed; Congressman Frank Lucas; Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce; Oklahoma State University Senior Vice President of System Affairs Kyle Wray; Stillwater Vice Mayor Amy Dzialowski; Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Executive Director Grayson Ardies; and Payne County Commissioner Zach Cavett. |
Additional event pictures are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBKSA9.
What Will Be Key to Safety as Technology Changes Airport Operations?
The airport of the future will be enhanced by technology, but ultimately safety will come down to how stakeholders collaborate, a panel of experts representing all facets of the aviation industry said today during the opening plenary session at AAAE’s Airport Operations & Technology Symposium in Oklahoma City.
Panelists represented airport safety, airport operations, airport planning, air traffic control, and risk management, from both the airport and carrier side.
The airport of the future is not “going to be safer because of more technology, it is safer because we get better at collaborating,” said Jacobs Aviation Advisory Safety and Compliance Director Serena Sheetz, C.M., ACE. “Together we are the best safety system and that is how we can drive the future of aviation.”
“No one sees the entire operational picture alone,” Sheetz, who served as session moderator, added. “We drive success through collaboration. We all bring a unique perspective to the table.”
Working through various scenarios, with discussion points influenced by audience voting on their smartphones, one of the topic panelists discussed was airport construction while maintaining operations.
Noting there is a lot of risk associated with construction, Denver International Director of Airport Safety Travis Krabbenhoft, C.M., ACE, explained starting collaboration among all stakeholders early, and keeping it going, is key. There are “so many things we know that can happen — and expect to happen,” he said in regards to construction at an airport. “What we need to do is … get everybody involved (in the conversation) early and figure out what types of things you can do to mitigate these risks.”
Disruption will happen at an airport, all panelists agreed, and the key is being prepared. “The airport environment is complex and things will happen,” said National Air Traffic Controllers Association National Safety Chair John Murdock. “We have plans in place to handle unique challenges.”
“People know what to do when something occurs that is not regular,” he added. “When we work (with all stakeholders), we know what to do when things” go wrong.
Blue Grass Airport Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tyler Miller, A.A.E., ACE, noted that the responding to different challenges that may happen at same time can be very challenging.
“We can train our teams to respond but have to really teach the collaboration and critical thinking to delegate that down to make decisions,” he said. “A runway closure while dealing with an incident on the ramp, it is not far-fetched to think that might happen. There (can be) many situations — mini crises — happening at once and we only have so people in-house/on duty.”
Miller explained that after action reports tend to happen only after major incidents and should instead become more commonplace. “After action briefings need to happen. We are probably pretty good as an industry on having an after action” for a major incident, he said, “but do we have those after a landside meltdown? A weather incident that has operational impacts on our scheduled airline service?”
“Expand those lessons learned, document them and solidifying best practices outside of just that emergency response is something that we often overlook,” he concluded.
In the end, the airport of the future will depend on how stakeholders manage emerging changes together, Sheetz said to the room of more than 400 airport and industry operations.
“Airport operations, air traffic control, an airline, emergency manager, engineering, you look at an airport through a different lens,” she said. “No one sees the entire operational picture alone, we drive success through collaboration. We all bring a unique perspective to the table."
Source: AAAE
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