New AAR maintenance hangar at Will Rogers World Airport to create 200 jobs in early 2026

Richard Mize, The Oklahoman
AAR Corp., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, has started construction on an 80,000-square-foot expansion of its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Will Rogers World Airport. This is a view from its present facility.
AAR Corp., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, has started construction on an 80,000-square-foot expansion of its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Will Rogers World Airport. This is a view from its present facility.

AAR Corp., a provider of commercial and government aviation services, is expanding its airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul work with a new three-bay hangar at Will Rogers World Airport, in part to support an increased commitment from Alaska Airlines.

The 80,000-square-foot hangar and warehouse space will accommodate all 737 variants, including the Boeing 737-10. It is expected to be in operation by January 2026. The expansion will create 200 jobs, according to AAR, which is based in Wood Dale, Illinois.

Funding for the expansion includes $20 million in state and federal grants to the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, plus rent concessions from the airport.

It was Will Rogers' share of nearly $250 million in state and federal funding granted by the Legislature in 2022 for aerospace investment. The allocation included money from the state PREP fund, for Preserving Rural Economic Prosperity, and ARPA, the American Rescue Plan Act.

The expansion is possible because of collaboration among AAR, Alaska Airlines, the Oklahoma City Airport Trust, and state and local representatives "who are passionate about expanding aviation in Oklahoma," said John M. Holmes, AAR’s chairman, president and CEO.

"We are especially excited about creating 200 additional full-time careers with AAR, which we expect to fill through local technical schools and workforce development partners who create opportunities through aviation-centric programming, such as Choose Aerospace,” Holmes said at a recent groundbreaking ceremony.

Choose Aerospace is a nonprofit based in Jenks that aims to generate interest in aerospace careers.

JE Dunn Construction Co., based in Kansas City, Missouri, is leading the construction from its Oklahoma City office.

"This groundbreaking isn't just about constructing a hangar. It's about cultivating an excellent experience for all involved. JE Dunn is honored to bring our construction expertise and leadership and partner with the Oklahoma City Airport Trust to support the business growth happening in our city,” said Jason Bishop, JE Dunn’s vice president for Oklahoma City.

Newmark Robinson Park reports these commercial real estate transactions

  • RBI Properties LLC paid $2 million to Domain Development for industrial properties at 16538 and 16542 N May Ave. Brent Conway with Newman Robinson Park represented the buyer and Paul Stuke with Plains CRE represented the seller.

  • Burgess & Niple Inc. leased 5,660 square feet of office space at Oklahoma Tower, 210 Park Ave. Conway and Bill Cohlmia with Newman Robinson represented the tenant.

  • ATC Drivetrain LLC leased 65,015 square feet of industrial space at 3421 N Lincoln Blvd. Brett Price, Kris Davis and Karley Harper represented the landlord and Gerald Gamble with Gerald L. Gamble Co. represented the tenant.

Also: Terry Klaus, Klaus Realty, reports this transaction: Joe Todd Jackson Revocable Trust paid $795,000 to RJR Investments LLC for a 7,000-square-foot metal industrial building on 0.7 acres at 804 Messenger Lane in Moore. Klaus and Randy Lacey and Chris Zach with CBRE Group handled the sale.

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Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: New AAR maintenance hangar underway at Will Rogers World Airport

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