While it was relatively clear skies and flat terrain that made Oklahoma an ideal location for the aviation and aerospace industries, the people and their work ethic have made it the state’s top employer, said an April 21 report in The Norman [Oklahoma] Transcript newspaper.
The director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission told business leaders in Norman, recently, that aviation and aerospace account for 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state, with a $5 billion payroll. Victor Bird said the industry amounts to about 10% of the state’s entire work force. Tinker Air Force Base, the destination each day of many Norman residents, employs 27,000 and is the largest maintenance facility for the military.
Bird commented that businesses have canceled aircraft orders based on unwarranted criticism of jet usage, but pointed out that business executives can fly in and out of cities such as Norman, McAlester and Ardmore without having to stay overnight or spend time waiting in large airports. He likened airplanes to a business’s line of credit. “Getting folks between destinations quicker is a more practical and often economical way to do business,” he stated.
To read the full story: http://www.normantranscript.com/opinion/local_story_111032319
