Boeing’s history in Oklahoma dates to 1953, when the company opened an office with 10 employees adjacent to Tinker AFB. 8 By 2010, Boeing had built a substantial presence with a reported 700 workers in Oklahoma City. Boeing announced in 2010 that it planned to relocate its B-1 program and C-130 avionics modernization program from Long Beach, California to Oklahoma City. The move involved 550 workers providing engineering, contractor-logistics services, and field support for military customers. Boeing’s expansion in Oklahoma City has continued in the past decade. The firm now operates an engineering center of excellence out of three buildings constructed in 2007, 2011 and 2012 near Tinker AFB with a total of more than 530,000 square feet. At year-end 2024, Oklahoma remained the 8th largest operating hub by employment for Boeing in the U.S. 9 Washington (67,500) remains the dominant hub, with Missouri (17,400) and California (13,950) the second and third largest locations. Oklahoma trails key aerospace hubs in South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. However, Oklahoma retains a greater amount of Boeing employment than several leading aerospace hubs including Alabama, Colorado, Virginia, Florida, Oregon, Illinois, and Georgia. Oklahoma Air National Guard Oklahoma’s National Guard – composed of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard – traces its roots to 1890 prior to statehood. Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard units have a unique dual mission that consists of both Federal and State responsibilities. 10 The Oklahoma Air National Guard (OKANG) serves as the air component for the State’s militia and remains a key component of the Greater Oklahoma City aerospace sector. The OKANG consists of two Wings across the state – the 137th Special Operations Wing (SOW) in Oklahoma City and the 138th Fighter Wing in Tulsa, both headquartered with the Oklahoma National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, also in Oklahoma City. The 137th SOW is located at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base (ANGB) just west of Will Rogers World Airport. The OKANG in Oklahoma City operated with a budget of approximately $120 million in fiscal year 2024. Payroll comprises the largest portion of the budget, reaching an estimated $74 million.
8 See: https://www.industryweek.com/the-economy/public-policy/article/21956178/oklahoma-in-a-prime-position-for-aerospace-growth 9 See: https://www.boeing.com/company/general-info#global. Employment numbers include all full-time and part-time employees, contingent labor, employees on leaves of absence 90 days or less, and the workforce of our subsidiary businesses. Numbers are net of additions and reductions. 10 For the state of Oklahoma, Army and Air National Guard forces are commanded by the Governor through the state Adjutant General. State missions may include helping communities deal with floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and security support in times of civil unrest. For federal missions, the Army and Air National Guard can be activated by the President of the United States and are then commanded by the combatant commander for their designated operating theatre.
Greater OKC Region Aerospace and Aviation - 2025
32
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online