The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) voted this year to keep a rarely used Lake Murray State Park Airport open simply to land more federal funds. The airport averages just one flight per month, has no planes based there, and is situated mere miles from two more heavily used airports.
Yet, the airport lands an automatic $150,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) every year. Much of that money is eventually used elsewhere in the state, making the Lake Murray State Park Airport a layover to land government money.
In the last five years, Lake Murray State Park Airport has received $750,000 through the FAA program, of which the commission has spent only $5,546 on the airport itself – less than one percent! The rest of the funds were transferred to projects at other state airports or remain unspent. Just this year, OAC sent $150,000 to two other projects across the state, both of which have already benefited from millions of federal dollars. The commission is now sitting on $450,000.
Besides its ability to land federal funds, there is no other apparent reason to justify the
airport’s existence. Closing it would not inconvenience travelers or pilots and would allow
for better use of the property. If this layover boondoggle is happening in Oklahoma, is it happening elsewhere?
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