TULSA, Okla. — Narrate Design, a Tulsa development and design company, is partnering with the Tulsa International Airport (TUL) to create some major improvements.
According to their website, Narrate said these improvements include a new Federal Inspection Service (FIS) wing of the airport that will allow nonstop international flights to land in Tulsa within the next five years.
The FIS wing will have customs and an international terminal allowing travelers to fly into and out of Tulsa on international flights without having to stop at a larger airport in another state, Narrate said.
TUL only had a customs department large enough to accommodate private or charter flights of 20 passengers or less, Narrate claimed. With the new wing coming, larger commercial flights will be more easily accommodated.
“We knew that we had to build something bigger for them. So with that, we thought let’s just add it to the terminal. It’s going to be a 35,000-square-foot customs facility and now we will also be able to clear commercial flights for Tulsans,” Kuehler said.
Kuehler says they are already seeking out flight destination opportunities for the nonstop service.
“Our air service development team is already soliciting airlines for nonstop service to Cancun and Cabo. Those are probably the most likely as we already know that about 115 people in Tulsa go to Mexico daily. So that’s going to be the most profitable and the most likely. Probably Cancun, but to be determined on which airlines and the exact schedule,” Kuehler said.
Kuehler says construction starts in February.
Additional improvements include a renovated customs and boarder protection building.
“People don’t know that we actually do already have CBP (Customs and Boarder Protection) on site. They have a small building that’s just adjacent to our terminal. So we’ve actually accepted international flights for years, but those flights are just private charters and cargo. So their little 1,200-square foot facility wasn’t enough for them anymore and they told us they needed more space, otherwise they would actually have to actually leave the Tulsa market,” TUL Communications Manager Kim Kuehler said.
Narrate Design said they teamed up with aviation and mobility specialists Corgan to design and construct the 45,000-square-foot addition to TUL.