The Seminole Municipal Airport hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, December 15, in honor of the airport’s new hangar project.
In 2018 project planning started and identified the need to relocate twelve existing hangars due to an upcoming $3+ million taxiway safety project. Once this need was identified, the City of Seminole, in partnership with the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) set out to solidify a long-term funding plan for how these new hangars would be constructed.
With the overall hangar project consisting of three phases, earthwork and site preparation was completed by December 2020 while the apron and taxiway paving was completed in early 2022. The building of the actual hangars was the last phase of the project and just wrapped up construction a few months ago. The total project cost of all three phases was $1.9 million.
In addition to the ribbon cutting attendees heard from local and state dignitaries including Mayor Jeff Griffin, Representative Danny Williams, Senator Grant Green, and State Director of Aeronautics Grayson Ardies.
“I have always had an interest in aviation, and these new hangars are necessary for the continued growth of the aviation community throughout eastern Oklahoma. I am confident this will bring lift to the local economy by fostering expansion opportunities and better infrastructure to the area,” said Representative Danny Williams, House District 28.
The Aeronautics Commission has plans to further invest in the airport system across the state through their hangar program, launched in the summer of 2021, to ensure Oklahoma’s aviation infrastructure can meet the needs of commerce and communities across the state.
“Seminole Municipal Airport has a $4.5 million annual economic impact on our community and the airport is home to Enviro Systems, and Taylor Aviation, and is being used by numerous businesses as well as other local entities. This project is very important to our community,” said Seminole Mayor Jeff Griffin.
Enviro Systems executives attended the ribbon cutting as well. The company is a registered supplier of environmental controls for many of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world and is engaged in various types of engineering and testing related to aircraft air exchange and air conditioning systems. The company has been in business since 1979 with nearly 170 employees and is located immediately adjacent to the Seminole Municipal Airport.
“I look forward to working more closely with the Aeronautics Commission and FAA to continue investing in aviation infrastructure in our rural communities. This airport is something the citizens of Seminole can be proud of for years to come,” stated Senator Grant Green, Senate District 28.
The Seminole Municipal Airport has plans for additional projects in the future including improvements to the parallel taxiway, constructing of a new terminal building, and additional hangars to support growth at the airport.
“The project had to be strategically planned because it was utilizing multiple funding sources from the FAA, OAC, and local funds. This was one of the more complex projects we’ve had to work through due to the phases and a large amount of earthwork and site preparation needed to start the new hangar development. The City of Seminole is to be commended for their leadership and vision to open up this new development area as I’m certain it will pay dividends for decades to come,” said the State Director of Aeronautics Grayson Ardies.