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World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oct 31, 2023
World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States--The American Airlines maintenance base in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, spans over 33 acres with maintenance hangers and shop space covering over three million square feet (280,000 sqm); with more than 5,000 employees, the facility significantly contributes to the city’s economy and sets the world record for being the World's largest commercial aviation facility, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"The American Airlines maintenance base in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the largest commercial aviation facility in the world. The facility spans over 33 acres with maintenance hangers and shop space covering over three million square feet (280,000 sqm). American Airlines uses the facility for the maintenance and overhaul of its small and large aircraft," the Simple Flying says.


"With more than 5,000 employees, the facility significantly contributes to the city’s economy. American Airlines plans to expand its operations at the facility by hiring 400 new employees. In 2022, the maintenance facility overhauled over 245 aircraft."

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Tulsa, Oklahoma, is home to the world’s largest commercial aviation maintenance facility, which has been there since 1946. American Airlines owns the facility, called Tech Ops – Tulsa. The 330-acre base at Tulsa International Airport includes 22 buildings comprising 3.3 million square feet of hangar and workshop space, according to the airline," the FOX Business says.



"Tulsa has a long history as a center in the U.S. aerospace industry, Airways previously reported. Thousands of people there had worked in airplane manufacturing during World War II, so American moved facilities there from New York City after the war as the company outgrew LaGuardia Airport.


"American Airlines owns the facility, called Tech Ops – Tulsa. The 330-acre base at Tulsa International Airport includes 22 buildings comprising 3.3 million square feet of hangar and workshop space, according to the airline."

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"American Airlines announced it will invest $550 million at its Base Maintenance facility in Tulsa (Tech Ops – Tulsa). It is American’s largest Base Maintenance facility and is an integral part of operating the carrier’s fleet of nearly 1,000 mainline aircraft safely and reliably," the American Airlines says.



"Tech Ops – Tulsa is home to more than 5,500 team members — 600 of those positions were added in 2019 — and conducts nearly half of the airline’s overall maintenance work. The new project includes construction of a new widebody-capable hangar and base support building. The investment also provides for improvements to the existing infrastructure, including roof replacements, utility and IT upgrades, and ramp repairs. This is the largest investment ever made at a maintenance location in American’s history.


"The new 193,000-square-foot hangar will be able to hold two widebody aircraft — or up to six narrowbody aircraft — and will replace two existing hangars that can no longer fully accommodate the size of American’s current aircraft. This will allow team members to continue maintenance work on the more than 900 aircraft that visit the site annually while also adding to the widebody hangar capacity in American’s system. The 132,000-square-foot base support building will include offices for teams in administrative functions for aircraft overhaul, engineering and more.


"The $550 million investment will take approximately seven years to complete and will involve upgrades to nearly every building. The new hangar and base support building construction is expected to begin in early 2021 and will take approximately 18 months to complete."

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Tulsa's American Airlines base is the largest commercial aviation maintenance facility in the world," the KTUL says.

"It has more than three million square feet of hangar and shop space across 33 acres. It's large because what they work on is large. Two hundred and forty-six planes have been overhauled at the base this year, including a 737 that's in one of the hangars now.

"Everything is stripped from the inside of the fuselage down to the floorboard and refurbished to make a plane that could be more than two decades old look and run like it's brand new."

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by scheduled passengers carried and revenue passenger mile. American, together with its regional partners and affiliates, operates an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in 48 countries.[8] American Airlines is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance. Regional service is operated by independent and subsidiary carriers under the brand name American Eagle.

"American Airlines and American Eagle operate out of 10 hubs, with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) being its largest. The airline handles more than 200 million passengers annually with an average of more than 500,000 passengers daily. As of 2022, the company employs 129,700 staff members.


"In 2011, due to a downturn in the airline industry, American Airlines' parent company, the AMR Corporation, filed for bankruptcy protection. In 2013, American Airlines merged with US Airways but kept the American Airlines name, as it was the better-recognized brand internationally; the combination of the two airlines resulted in the creation of the largest airline in the United States, and ultimately the world."  (Wikipedia)

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"American Airlines is expanding the work conducted at the world’s largest commercial aviation base maintenance facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Tech Ops – Tulsa), resulting in the need to hire more than 400 new team members. Over the next few months, additional maintenance work will be sent to Tech Ops — Tulsa, including scheduled maintenance work on the Boeing 787 fleet. This work will require the skills of more than 400 new Tech Ops team members in various areas to assist with the additional work coming to the base," the Oklahoma Department of Commerce says.


"More than 5,200 people currently work at the base, which is the largest commercial aircraft maintenance facility in the world with 22 buildings on the main base, including 3.3 million square feet of hangar and shop space sitting on 330 acres. American performs more maintenance work in-house than any other airline, and employs more than 15,000 Tech Ops professionals around the world.


"American is dedicated to promoting the Tech Ops industry and creating employment opportunities, now and in the future, for Tulsa. Tech Ops – Tulsa, which has been ingrained in the Tulsa community since 1946, has a long history of supporting STEM-related initiatives with many partners in the region."

World's largest commercial aviation facility: world record in Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Delta TechOps (DTO) is the largest airline maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in North America. In addition to supplying maintenance and engineering support for Delta Air Lines’ large fleet of aircraft, Delta TechOps provides high-quality service to more than 150 other aviation and airline customers around the world. DTO specializes in high-skill work such as engines, components, hangar and line maintenance, employing thousands of aviation maintenance professionals. DTO is one of the world’s most-experienced providers with more than 90 years of aviation experience," the Delta TechOps says.


"With more than nine decades of experience, the Delta TechOps team knows a thing or two about how to keep your fleet flying at optimum performance. We offer customized maintenance solutions to meet all your needs with efficiency and attention to detail.


"With a team of highly trained technicians, Delta TechOps provides speedy response to grounded aircraft anywhere in the world. No one can offer better access to the parts, tools and equipment you need to keep your aircraft flying. Explore how we can help you maintain your fleet at max efficiency below and with our interactive e-magazine."

Related world records:

 World's Largest Cargo Airline: world record in Memphis, Tennessee
 World’s Most Valuable Airline Brand: world record in Atlanta, Georgia
 World's Busiest Airport: world record in Atlanta, Georgia
 World's Largest Self-supporting Aerospace Museum: world record in Tucson, Arizona
 World’s Largest Private Vintage Aircraft Collection: world record in Polk City, Florida
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