New Hangar In The Works As Alaska Airlines Expands In Oklahoma City

AAR Corp, a leading provider of aviation services, broke ground on the expansion of its maintenance, overhaul, and repair facility at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City on Friday, April 5th.

More than 150 representatives from Alaska Airlines, AAR Corp, state and local government agencies, and partner organizations attended the groundbreaking ceremony. The new three-bay hangar will be next to the company’s existing seven-bay hangar at the airport. It is expected to become operational in January 2026.

The new facility

Once construction is completed, the new hangar will measure more than 80,000 square feet (7,432 square meters). The space will allow the facility to accommodate all variants of the Boeing 737, including the unreleased 737 MAX 10.

AAR’s growth in the area can be attributed to Alaska Airlines’ increased maintenance commitment to the outfit. The airline has partnered with AAR for more than 20 years.

Jeff Mulder, Oklahoma City’s Director of Airports, spoke at the ceremony, saying:

“The Oklahoma City Airport Trust is excited to partner with AAR to expand its Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul operation at Will Rogers World Airport. This expansion of AAR’s MRO operation provides more hangar capacity at OKC, along with more aviation jobs for our community.”

$20 million of the project’s funding was secured through a grant from the Oklahoma state government, while the remainder will be recuperated through rent payments from the airport. The project is estimated to cost $37.5 million and is expected to create 225 full-time jobs at the airport.

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The impact on Oklahoma

According to the Oklahoma Senate, the project is one of many to make the aviation and aeronautics industry the leading industry in the state.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Grayson Ardies, Executive Director for the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, underlined how the hangar will make Oklahoma the MRO capital of the world:

“We have Tinker Air Force Base just across the way, we have American Airlines up in Tulsa, and we’ve got the world’s largest third-party MRO provider in AAR right here, which obviously we’re celebrating today. We fix airplanes, we keep them flying, and that’s our legacy. We’re very proud of it, and this is another step in that direction to try to make our second largest industry number one.”

The Senate’s release says the industry creates 200,000 jobs and generates over $44 billion in economic activity annually.

What does it take to build a hangar?

When considering building an aircraft or MRO hangar, the first thing to consider is what type of aircraft will be brought in. The Boeing 737, with a tail height of 41 ft 2 in (12.5 m), wingspan of 117 ft 10 in (35.9 m), and a length of 143 ft 8 in (43.8 m), will be the main focus of this hangar. So, any fixtures have to clear those dimensions.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The floor plan must be well thought out to maximize the ability to store and work on aircraft. Space must also be set aside for employee areas, part storage, and dedicated areas for receiving and shipping parts. Equipment, including jacks, stands, lifts, aircraft tugs, ground power carts, pneumatic start carts, etc., has to be customized for the operation.

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