2024 Oklahoma State Air and Space Forces Association Award Luncheon

The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics serves as the lead government agency to support, promote, and advocate for the state’s second largest industry, aviation and aerospace. This includes providing funding, planning, programming and engineering expertise for Oklahoma’s airports and aviation infrastructure as well as ensuring the viability of the aerospace industry. The agency is responsible for the administration and/or coordination of a statewide system of airports, cooperating with and assisting local, state, and federal authorities in the development of aviation infrastructure and facilities, acting as the central resource point in state government for the up-and-coming Unmanned and Advanced Air Mobility sector, and fostering the success of the state’s overall aerospace industry. The Department administers a robust aerospace and aviation education grant program to help the aviation and aerospace industry with their workforce challenges by introducing Oklahoma students to the available STEM careers that the industry has to offer. The Department also partners with Oklahoma’s Department of Commerce in the delivery of the ACES program which seeks to grow and develop the aviation and aerospace industry.

Founded originally in 1946 as the Aviation Commission, reorganized as the Aeronautics Commission in 1963, and renamed the Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics in 2023, this agency now encompasses the following divisions: Administration/Operations, Airport Development, Aerospace & Aviation Education, UAS/AAM.

The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics has been granted specific duties and powers by the State of Oklahoma to ensure that it can properly perform its intended purpose. They include, but are not limited to:

Encouraging, fostering and assisting in the development of aeronautics in Oklahoma

Encouraging the establishment of airports and airport facilities

Ensuring a viable aerospace industry in Oklahoma

Drafting and recommending legislation to advance the state’s interest in aeronautics

Applying for, receiving, and disbursing federal and other public funds

Providing financial assistance to airports through grants or loans

Organizing and developing an aerospace education program