Broken Arrow weighs feasibility study for new general aviation airport

The city of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is soliciting proposals from consulting firms to examine whether building a new general aviation airport is feasible. A request for qualifications was issued in July, with responses due by August 27.

The planned study would assess aviation demand, operational needs, economic impact and regulatory requirements, according to city officials. It would also look at possible airport locations, environmental factors and potential federal grant funding. No site has been chosen yet.

Officials described the proposed facility as one intended for private and corporate aircraft rather than scheduled commercial airline service. A city representative identified as Spurgeon said local pilots and business owners have long asked why a city of Broken Arrow's size lacks its own airport, adding that some pilots currently store their aircraft as far away as northwest Arkansas because of a shortage of hangar space at nearby fields.

The feasibility study itself is expected to cost about $150,000. Some local opposition has already surfaced, though city officials stressed that commissioning the study does not commit the city to building an airport. A consultant could be selected as soon as September, with the analysis expected to take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

This is not the city's first look at the idea. A similar study in the 1980s concluded an airport would be feasible, but the sites considered at that time have since been developed for other uses. Officials cautioned that even a favorable outcome from the new study would still require further planning, environmental review, financing and regulatory approval, meaning any construction would likely be at least ten years away.