Will Rogers World Airport Will Rogers World Airport , also known as Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers , is located in southwestern Oklahoma City , Oklahoma 6 miles ( 8 km ) from downtown on approximately 8 , 100 acres of land . It is a joint civil - military airport and is the principal commercial airport of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area . The local airport authority , citizens , and news organizations commonly refer to the airport as " WRWA " , yet the official industry designations are " OKC " and " KOKC " . The airport is named in honor of comedian and legendary cowboy Will Rogers , an Oklahoma native , and holds the distinction of being named after a person who died in an airplane crash ( as does the city ' s other major airport , Wiley Post Airport , and Wiley Post – Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Barrow , AK - both men died in the same crash near Barrow in 1935 ) . Will Rogers World Airport is unusual in that it is the only airport to use the designation " World , " and that its name makes no reference to its city location . Although it offers some customs and immigration services , it has no international destinations . In 2012 , over 3 . 68 million passengers passed through Will Rogers World Airport , up 3 . 4 % over 2011 . It is Oklahoma ' s busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic and its busiest cargo airport in terms of pounds of cargo carried , with over 68 . 5 million pounds of cargo carried in 2010 . History . World War II . During World War II Will Rogers Field was a major training facility for the United States Army Air Forces ; many fighter and bomber units were activated and received initial training there . Known USAAF groups stationed at Will Rogers Field were : After completion of their initial training , these units were reassigned to other airfields for secondary training before deployment overseas . The December 1951 C & GS chart shows 5497 - ft runway 3 , 3801 - ft runway 8 , 5652 - ft runway 12 and 5100 - ft runway 17 . Crash and terminal replacement . A Rockwell Sabreliner , registration N5565 crashed on January 15 , 1974 , after descending below minimums on an ILS approach in low clouds and fog . By the late 1990s the terminal building built in 1967 was deemed unsuitable by the Oklahoma City Airport Trust . Following the adoption of a three phase master plan , preparations for renovating the airport were launched in 2001 . The old twin concourses ( visible in the 1995 photograph ) were demolished to make way for a larger terminal with integrated concourses , high ceilings , and modern facilities . A $ 110 million multi - phase expansion and renovation project , designed by Atkins Benham Inc . and Gensler and built by Oscar J . Boldt Construction Company , began in 2001 . Phase - I involved erection of construction walkways from the five - story parking garage to the terminal building , demolition of the terminal ' s existing elevator core , construction of new elevator and escalator cores on the tunnel level and on level one , building temporary entrance and exit ramps for vehicles approaching and leaving the terminal , reconstruction of the roofs of the lower level and level one , finishing the elevator and escalator cores to level two , building new permanent entry and exit ramps for vehicles and construction of a new transportation plaza and driving lanes . Phase - II included a new concourse constructed to the west of the central terminal area , which was renovated to match the interior and exterior designs of the new concourse . The 1960s - built concourses were then demolished after the new concourse opened in 2005 . The entire phase was completed in November 2006 . Phase - III project exists which calls for the construction of a new concourse to the east , with at least eight additional gates as well as expanded retail , restaurant , and baggage areas . During 2012 the Phase III expansion plan was updated to include a new Central Concourse reconfiguration plan . Option 2a was selected by the Airport Trust which includes only the central terminal improvements at this time . The $ 3 . 6M project will create a new central checkpoint in the center of the check - in hall . Two new greeter lobbies will be created where existing check points exist . The expansion will slightly reduce the space utilized by Sonic in the food court . The restrooms in the area will also be relocated to the nearby Osage room . The Southwest ticket counters will be relocated further east . 2000 - present . Great Plains Airlines , a regional airline based in Tulsa , made Will Rogers World Airport a hub in 2001 , with non - stop flights to Tulsa , Albuquerque , and Colorado Springs and direct or connecting flights to Nashville , St . Louis Mid America , Chicago Midway , and Washington Dulles . The airline hoped to reach other east and west coast markets , but it declared bankruptcy and ceased operations January 23 , 2004 . On December 21 , 2012 , a U . S . Customers and Border Patrol Cessna Citation crashed during landing at Will Rogers Airport . On May 31 , 2013 , Will Rogers Airport was impacted by an EF - 1 tornado . The 1 . 4 mile wide tornado traveled 10 . 4 miles which includes across the Northern portion of the airport mainly south of SE 54th Street . The parking spot location on Meridian Avenue was destroyed . The path of the tornado passed over the facilities of MetroTech , FAA , Oklahoma National Guard , AAR , Four Points Hotel , and the passenger terminal and hangars on the North and East side of the airport . Minor damage was reported at AAR and other buildings in this path . The parking spot location north of the airport on Meridian Ave was also hit by the tornado . The company decided in August to not re - open the facility and exit the OKC market . The airport used to partner with Tinker AFB in presenting the Aerospace America airshow . Will Rogers World Airport is used by military flights of the Oklahoma Air National Guard as well as air taxi and corporate service , although most of these flights utilize the Wiley Post Airport , Oklahoma City ' s FAA - designated reliever facility . Lariat Landing . Lariat Landing is a new development on the east side of the airport grounds that encompasses 1 , 000 acres . The development is meant to generate additional non - airline revenue for the airport while still growing air service . The development will be mixed use with nearly half of it , north of Portland Avenue , designated to direct aviation support ( with runway access ) with an additional portion dedicated to aviation support companies . The remaining portion south of Portland Avenue will be zoned for retail , industrial , and commercial office space . The direct aviation parcels of Lariat Landing will be marketed towards aircraft maintenance , aircraft manufacturing , commercial air cargo , and corporate aviation companies . Atlantic Aviation and ARINC are two tenants already located in the new development area . The aviation support district will be targeting companies that provides aviation related goods and services . The target companies include freight forwarders , logistics , cargo , warehousing , distribution operations , and manufacturing companies . Located between Interstate 44 and Portland Avenue , the office park will have a retail village as the gateway to its campus . It will target offices , hotels / motels , retail , warehouse , distribution , and logistic companies . Property will only be leased due to FAA requirements and will have a maximum term of 40 years . The realignment of Portland Avenue is currently in process while the new 48 - inch waterline installation has already been completed . Passenger services . Terminal . Will Rogers World Airport has one terminal with 17 gates via the West Concourse ( Gates 1 - 12 ) and Central Concourse ( Gates 14 - 24 ) . Gates on the south side of the building use even numbers while those on the north side use odd numbers . Hence , many odd - numbered gates are " left out " due to the terminal layout . The architecture of the building uses native stone along with loft - ceilings , plate glass and brushed metal . Compared to the old concourses , the improvements provided a more open feel to the terminal waiting areas , similar to larger hub airports without being quite so large in scale . Will Rogers World Airport officials approved a contract with Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates , P . C . in 2008 to begin planning for expanding the airport . However , officials were forced to postpone the expansion plan because of the industry - wide decline in passenger traffic . If completed , the existing terminal building would be expanded to the east and a new passenger concourse ( the " International Concourse " ) with nine gates would be added , increasing the number of boarding gates to 26 . The new facility would have immigration and customs on the lower level , and would serve international flights . Busiest domestic routes from Oklahoma City . April 2011 - March 2012 vs . April 2012 - March 2013 Cargo and other civilian operations . Cargo airlines . Various FAR Part 135 Operators ( Charter , Nonscheduled Service ) operate in and out of the airport , such as small cargo feeder airlines operating small propeller aircraft . As well as larger charter companies doing military charters , vacations , etc . Ground transportation . Taxi and shuttle service is offered by a number of companies to downtown Oklahoma City and the surrounding metro area . Hotels have shuttle service to the airport and there are car hire options available , most of which have on - site terminal facilities and business priority ( frequent customer ) loyalty options . The airport is served by Alamo , Avis , Budget , Dollar , Enterprise , Hertz , National , and Thrifty car rental companies . Greyhound and other intercity scheduled and charter bus companies provide service to the airport but may need to be pre - arranged prior to landing . As for public transit , Oklahoma City Metro Transit runs METRO Route 11 to and from the airport . This service operates only three times per day during non - peak times . Parking . The airport began a $ 3 . 8 million maintenance project in September 2011 to rehabilitate and repair two of its three parking garages . The project will make improvements to garages A and B , two of the six parking options at the airport . Garage A is the two - story garage that provides hourly parking for the airport ’ s short - term visitors on the upper level , and “ ready - return ” spaces for the rental car agencies on the lower level . Parking Garage B , adjacent to A , is the older of the two , five - level parking structures that provides covered parking for air travelers . Garage C , the new parking garage which opened in 2009 , will not be impacted . Nearing middle age , ( Garage A is 44 years old and Garage B is 31 years old , ) the structures will undergo several different types of refurbishments that will extend the long - term use of the facilities . The work will include : The project will be divided into 12 sequences allowing the airport to keep as much of the garage open as possible . Most of the sequences will only require closing about 300 spaces at a time , leaving approximately 2 , 500 of the 2 , 800 total spaces in the two garages available for parking . The project work will start in the five - level Garage B on levels one and two . The entire project is anticipated to take 18 months . The most challenging portion of the project will be when the work commences on the two - story parking garage . During this sequencing , hourly parking and rental car companies will be moved to temporary locations in Garage B and C . The airport operates three surface parking lots on the grounds of WRWA . The airport provides a short term parking area in the second ( top ) level of Garage A . The parking is free for the first hour and then $ 1 per hour after that . There are also two cell phone waiting areas just across the street from the shuttle parking lot # 2 , near Lot # 3 , and by the flag plaza north of the long term shuttle Lot # 2 . Government and military operations . Until 2008 , the Oklahoma Air National Guard ' s 137th Airlift Wing and its C - 130 Hercules aircraft were located at the airport ' s Will Rogers Air National Guard Base . As part of the 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure Commission ( BRAC ) recommendations , the majority of the maintenance unit ( excluding the munitions flight ) was relocated to nearby Tinker Air Force Base , where the wing transitioned to the KC - 135 Stratotanker aircraft and became the 137th Air Refueling Wing . The unit shares the KC - 135 aircraft with the Air Force Reserve Command ' s 507th Air Refueling Wing in a joint operations and maintenance program . Will Rogers Air National Guard Base continues to be the home of the unit ' s Expeditionary Support Group headquarters , operations and support , as well as the Oklahoma ANG ' s 146th Air Support Operations Squadron . The base has also seen joint association with the Oklahoma Army National Guard , which maintains a helicopter maintenance program at the location . The Federal Aviation Administration has major facilities on the airport grounds , including the headquarters for the ' Air Route Traffic Control ' , the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute , and the FAA Training Academy , all housed at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center campus on the west part of the Airport . The U . S . Department of Justice has major Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System ( JPATS ) facilities at Will Rogers World Airport . The Federal Transfer Center and its principal air hub is built on the west side of the airport grounds , off of Taxiway G . The U . S . Customs and Border Patrol operate their national training facility on airport grounds . They operate a hangar on the north side of the airport , off of Taxiway N , north of the JPATS Hangar . The Oklahoma City Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol meets on Tuesday evenings at 6 : 30pm on the grounds of the Oklahoma Air National Guard base on the West side of the field . Businesses and other onsite institutions . AAR Oklahoma has a major maintenance , repair , and overhaul facility and regional headquarters at Will Rogers World Airport ; in addition there are other aircraft maintenance and aircraft on ground organizations based there . Atlantic Aviation has a fixed base operation located on the east side of the airport , off of Taxiway H . This is Atlantic ' s first Greenfield project . Southwest Airlines has one of its largest customer service and support centers on the northern grounds of Will Rogers World Airport . ARINC has major facilities on the airport premises , including plans to double the size of their current facility . Will Rogers World Airport is home to Metro Technology Center ' s Aviation Career Campus . The aviation center offers training to prepare aircraft maintenance technicians with Classrooms , practical labs , and separate airframe and powerplant hangars are available for academic and hands - on training . The Aviation Maintenance Technician program is an 18 - month course that is certified and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration . The facility is on the west side of the airport , north of the FAA center . One notable sight on the MetroTech campus includes a donated < nowiki > AirTran Airways < / nowiki > DC - 9 - 30 in the post AirTran Airways / ValuJet merger colors . Will Rogers World Airport permanently hosts the Ninety Nines Museum of Women Pilots . The facility is located on more than , occupying the entire second floor of the International Headquarters building . It features a repository for a unique collection of the papers , personal items and other historic artifacts of some of the most significant achievements and adventures of the international community of women pilots . Its library and exhibit areas will provide new insights into the role women pilots played in the development of aviation . The City of Oklahoma City Department of Airports is in charge of the three city - owned airports : Will Rogers World Airport , Wiley Post Airport , and Clarence E . Page Airport . The organization is led by Director Mark Kranenburg .