Oklahoma City has unveiled a 25 year expansion plan for Will Rogers International Airport. The plan, called Cleared for Takeoff, is designed to lift annual capacity from 4.6 million passengers to as many as 20 million, according to the city announcement reported by Construction Dive.
The work is phased against demand rather than a fixed timetable. The first phase, tied to reaching 6 million passengers a year, adds a new five level parking garage with 1,538 spaces, demolishes Garage A and reworks the terminal roadway, addressing a documented shortage of public parking and curbside congestion. The second phase, at 8 million passengers, expands the concourse to 24 to 26 gates, including at least one widebody position, with a permanent two level roadway. The final phase expands the concourse to 40 gates and adds a light rail passenger connection to downtown Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma City Airport Trust has engaged Mead and Hunt for terminal programming and cost estimating, and the firm described the programme as multibillion dollar, with no specific total released. Terminal flooring, roadway and restroom works are already under way and run through 2027 and early 2028.
No financing plan has been published. For a plan of this horizon, the investable question is the first phase’s funding, through airport revenue bonds, federal grants or both, rather than the 20 million passenger end state.