PONCA CITY, Okla. (July 9, 2021) — The Ponca City Regional Airport will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 9, in honor of the airport’s newly reconstructed 7,200-foot runway starting at 10 a.m. at the PCDA Hanger.

The project, which began in 2020, was one of the largest single-phase undertakings at a general aviation airport in Oklahoma. The project reconstructed a majority of the runway, replaced the runway lights and guidance signs and significantly enhanced the drainage of the area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding for the $8.1M project was directed through the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission’s (OAC) 5-year Airport Construction Program and consisted of a combination of FAA Supplemental Appropriations, Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding and Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act local matching funds.

U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe will serve as a keynote speaker and lead the ceremonial ribbon cutting signifying the optimistic future of both the Ponca City Region al Airport and the surrounding communities.

“At 7,200 feet long, this runway is the ninth-longest civilian runway in the state,” U.S. Sen. Inhofe said. “That means it can accommodate just about any aircraft in the business jet fleet which opens this airport up to immeasurable economic development opportunities. I would also like to commend the City of Ponca City for taking on such a tremendous project in the height of the COVID pandemic as it really shows their vision and leadership in the aviation community.”

Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz has been active in the support of the OAC’s aggressive efforts to improve pavement quality throughout the 108 public-use airports located within the state system of airports.

“The construction completed at this airport will ensure the viability of the runway for the next 40-plus years and provide for a great aviation infrastructure asset for the north-central Oklahoma area,” Sec. Gatz said.

Since 2000, this airport has received over $26M in funding to support infrastructure upgrades and support the functionality and improvement of the facility.

In addition to the ribboncutting, attendees will enjoy the singing of the National Anthem by Emma Valgora and the posting of the colors by Scout Troop #524 with the First Lutheran Church. The crowd will also hear from dignitaries including Representative Ken Luttrell, the Mayor of Ponca City Homer Nicholson, and State Director of Aeronautics Grayson Ardies.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES: State Senator Bill Coleman

“This is a great opportunity for Ponca City and its citizens. The new runway shows Ponca City is a growing community and values its infrastructure. Greenwood Aviation is an aerospace company based on the airport doing defense and MRO work, employing 15 people in the community. This project connects two of the state’s biggest growth areas, energy and aerospace. Oklahoma will continue to grow in those areas. With a new runway, Ponca City is poised to take advantage of the future.”

State Representative Ken Luttrell

“Ponca City’s airport generates over $10M in annual economic activity and supports 61 direct and indirect jobs for the community. We thank the Commission and the FAA for their efforts, and we look forward to welcoming new aircraft owners and businesses now that this new runway is open.”

Ponca City Mayor Homer Nicholson

“Without the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, and the citizens of Ponca City, this project would not have been not have been possible. Now that we have a beautiful new concrete runway which will last us at least another 40 years in the future, we can get to work on recruiting new aviation and aerospace businesses to our community.”

State Director of Aeronautics Grayson Ardies

“Working with Mayor Nicholson and the City Manager Craig Stephenson on this project has been excellent. The airport currently hosts more than 50 based aircraft including three business jets. Many local businesses utilize the airport including Phillips 66, Community Health Systems, Albertsons, Walmart and Wyatt Construction. With aviation and aerospace as the state’s secondlargest economic engine, this community is now positioned for further aero commerce and tourism.”

President of the Ponca

“The airport is unique and is one of only a few facilities in the state that has a restaurant on the airport. Ponca City’s airport is known for its food, and pilots across the region will be pleased to return to their favorite fly-in Mexican restaurant now that this runway is open. Ponca City is open for business.”

Mission: The mission of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission is to promote aviation, which includes ensuring that the needs of commerce and communities across the state are met by the state’s 108 publicly owned airports that comprise the Oklahoma Airport System and helping ensure the viability of the state’s aerospace industry.

Aviation Industry Facts: The Oklahoma Aviation & Aerospace Industry produces just under $44B in annual economic activity, making it the second-largest economic engine in our state. The average salary in the industry is $73,300 making it one of the highest average salaries in the state. The state has 108 public airports in its system with over 96% of our population being within 30 minutes from one of the 44 airports with a 5,000 foot, jet-capable runway.

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