For the first time since 1984, the Stillwater Regional Airport will get scheduled passenger airline service beginning this summer. New nonstop flights from Stillwater to Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport will begin Aug. 23, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.
In order to get the nonstop flight service, a $3.4 million project will needed to be launched with some of the work completed by August. Otherwise, most of the runway work will be ready for traffic by late 2018.
The Aeronautics Commission made a state grant of $385,000 to Stillwater to help begin the first phase of work which carries a $600,000 price tag. Stillwater is contributing $30,000 in matching funds and the Federal Aviation Administration is providing $185,000 in federal funds. The first phase will include construction of two stub connecting taxiways near the midway point of the existing runway and parallel taxiway. It is the first of two phases that will eventually realign a part of the parallel taxiway to meet current FAA standards.
“Gaining scheduled passenger service from Stillwater Regional Airport is a monumental achievement for Stillwater,” said Director of Aeronautics Vic Bird. “We are pleased we can help it begin yet another chapter in their city’s history by providing this state grant.”
Aviation officials are hoping to get the connecting taxiway projects underway as quickly as possible so the work won’t interfere with the scheduled start of the passenger air service.
“This is an important project to Stillwater and to our airline startup,” said Gary Johnson, Stillwater Regional Airport Manager. “It’s not easy for any of us to start a project from ground zero and get it done in four months.”
In order to reconstruct and realign the connecting and parallel taxiways, the airport’s main runway will be temporarily closed. Traffic will then be redirected to the airport’s crosswind runway, which is about 2,000 feet shorter than the main runway, but still long enough to handle most jet aircraft flying into Stillwater Regional.
