Oklahoma’s business aviation market doesn’t look like anyone else’s. Based on the current in-state fleet, 425 turboprops and business jets call Oklahoma home, and the numbers behind that fleet tell a story of a hardworking, turboprop-friendly market anchored by the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas, with Wiley Post Airport leading the way.
Here’s a look at the Oklahoma business aviation market by the numbers, the latest in a series breaking down what’s actually flying in each state.
A SEASONED, OWNER-HEAVY FLEET
Oklahoma’s fleet skews older than some newer-money markets, but it carries real depth at both ends. The average manufacture year for all 425 in-operation aircraft is 2003, with a median of 2005. About 23 percent of the fleet (96 aircraft) was built in 2015 or later, and 51 aircraft (12 percent) date to 2020 or newer. At the other end, 86 aircraft (20 percent) were built before 1990, so a large base of older aircraft is still flying.
Ownership is weighted heavily toward direct ownership:
- Wholly owned: 400 aircraft (94.1 percent)
- Shared ownership: 23 aircraft (5.4 percent)
- Fractional ownership program: 2 aircraft (0.5 percent)
That owner-heavy split fits a state where most aircraft serve the companies and individuals who bought them.
WHERE THE FLEET LIVES
Oklahoma’s business aircraft are based at 42 different airports, but the market clusters around a handful of fields:
- Wiley Post Airport: 88 aircraft
- Tulsa Riverside Airport: 56 aircraft
- Tulsa International Airport: 55 aircraft
- Will Rogers World Airport: 34 aircraft
- Sundance Airpark: 17 aircraft
- Enid Woodring Municipal Airport: 12 aircraft
- University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport: 12 aircraft
- Durant Regional Airport (Eaker Field): 11 aircraft
- Ponca City Municipal Airport: 6 aircraft
- Ada Municipal Airport: 6 aircraft
Wiley Post alone holds more than one in five of the state’s business aircraft (21 percent), and the top two airports, Wiley Post and Tulsa Riverside, account for about 34 percent of the statewide fleet. The two Tulsa airports together hold 111 aircraft, and the top ten fields hold roughly 70 percent of the fleet.
WHAT OKLAHOMA FLIES
Citation is the clear leader by manufacturer, with 101 aircraft statewide, more than double the next closest maker. King Air (47), Learjet (39), Challenger (31) and Caravan (26) round out the top five.
By specific model, the list reflects a market that values both turboprops and light-to-midsize jets:
- Cessna Caravan 208B: 22
- Learjet 75: 11
- Avanti II: 9
- Citation II: 9
- King Air 350: 9
- Challenger 605: 8
- Challenger 300: 7
- King Air 300: 7
- King Air C90B: 7
The Caravan 208B is the standout, with more than twice as many aircraft as any jet model in the state. In all, 141 distinct models appear across the fleet, so the market is deep in turboprops like the King Air, Caravan and Conquest alongside Learjets, Citations and Challengers.
WHAT’S ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW
Of the 425 aircraft based in Oklahoma, 32 are currently listed for sale or lease, or about 8 percent of the fleet. Twenty-two carry a published asking price, nine are listed as “inquire,” and one is lease only.
The for-sale list is dominated by Learjets and Citations, with eight of each:
- Caravan 208B: 3 for sale
- Citation II: 3 for sale
- Learjet 31A: 3 for sale
- Eclipse EA500: 2 for sale
- Learjet 45: 2 for sale
- Learjet 45XR: 2 for sale
Published asking prices run from $575k for a 1980 King Air C90 to $8,995k for a 2006 Falcon 2000LX. Wiley Post Airport has the most listings of any field (11), followed by Tulsa International (4) and Sundance Airpark (3).
THE OPERATORS BEHIND THE FLEET
A wide set of operators and management companies account for the aircraft flying in Oklahoma, more so than any single dominant player:
- Aircraft Structures International Corporation: 19 aircraft
- Southwest Aviation Specialties, LLC: 13 aircraft
- Federal Aviation Administration: 13 aircraft
- Private Jets, Inc.: 10 aircraft
- Alliance Air Parts Acquisitions Corp.: 8 aircraft
- GJP Aviation, LLC: 8 aircraft
About 295 distinct operators appear across the fleet, which points to a market of owner-operators, independent management companies and regional charter shops. By usage, 342 aircraft (80 percent) fly business missions and 38 (9 percent) are in charter service. The rest fly personal, government, dealer-inventory, cargo and military roles.
FLEET ACTIVITY
The average airframe in Oklahoma’s fleet with recorded flight-hour data has logged about 5,170 total hours, with a median of 4,220. Combined with a fleet that runs from 1960s-era airframes to 2026 deliveries, that points to a hardworking fleet across the board.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Oklahoma’s business aviation market is large, seasoned and genuinely diverse, from the state’s many Caravans and King Airs to its Learjets, Citations and large-cabin Challengers. Wiley Post and the two Tulsa airports anchor the market, but with 42 base airports and about 295 operators, this isn’t a market defined by one hub or one manufacturer. For owners and buyers trying to understand where they fit, or brokers trying to figure out where the next deal is likely to come from, the fleet data tells a clear story: Oklahoma is a deep, diversified market with room for nearly every segment of business aviation.
Contact Holstein Aviation to talk through where your aircraft fits into the Oklahoma market, whether you’re buying, selling, or reevaluating how it’s managed. With a jet brokerage team that understands the market, you can make your next move with confidence.
