This summer, a delegation from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber joined state agencies in Farnborough to press Oklahoma’s case to the global aerospace industry. The visit aimed to turn high-level conversations into tangible investment, workforce and research opportunities as advanced air mobility and defense technologies reshape the sector.
Farnborough, held every two years outside London, is a central marketplace for aerospace manufacturers, suppliers and government delegations. Chamber representatives used the event to reconnect with existing partners, open conversations with potential investors and showcase the region’s expanding capabilities in aviation maintenance, manufacturing and next‑generation air systems.
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Chamber senior vice president Dennis Pruitt said the team conducted more than 80 meetings over the course of the show, engaging with site selection advisors, industry associations and technology firms. The outreach was intended to both shore up current employers’ needs and attract new projects to the region.
- Who they met: aircraft manufacturers, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) providers, composite-material suppliers, drone and counter‑drone firms, and VTOL developers.
- Discussion topics: workforce development, incentives, testing and certification, cross‑border partnerships, and emerging technologies.
- International partners: aerospace associations and companies from Austria, France, Japan and Spain.
One item that drew particular attention was the under‑construction Vertical Procedures and Analysis Range, or V‑PAR, at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. Designed as an advanced test environment for takeoff, landing and flight procedures, V‑PAR is seen as a practical asset for expanding advanced air mobility operations and for attracting companies focused on electric and vertical‑lift aircraft.
Statewide coordination framed the trip: the Chamber travelled with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and worked alongside the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, the ACES program, the Oklahoma Air & Space Port and the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance. That networked approach is intended to present a unified offer to investors and to streamline follow‑up on technical and regulatory questions.
For Oklahoma City, the immediate stakes are clear. New partnerships could translate into regional hiring, MRO expansion and greater participation in supply chains for composites and avionics. In the medium term, hosting validation facilities such as V‑PAR positions the region to capture projects tied to urban air mobility and unmanned systems development.
Officials said the next steps include targeted follow‑ups with promising contacts from Farnborough, detailed site pitches for interested companies and strengthening training pipelines to match anticipated hiring needs. The strategy is meant to convert the show’s conversations into concrete projects that bolster Oklahoma’s profile in aerospace and defense.
