Some Parking Lots Will Begin Charging Daily Fee in 2027, Stillwater Regional Airport Said
As Stillwater Regional Airport prepares to open its new terminal to the public in August, airport staff are reviewing rates and fees to match Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Some of those fees will affect residents who park their vehicles at the airport.
In December 2025, the airport explored the idea of charging passengers to park closer to the new airport terminal upon its completion.
The airport recently conducted a rates and charges study with consulting agency KSA, and the SWO advisory board recommended presenting the proposed FY2027 airport rates and charges to City Council, Airport Director Kellie Reed said.
Paula Jordan, a KSA consultant, gave a presentation about the airport rates and charges study, which includes fees for private pilots landing their planes, parking airplanes in hangars on site and fueling planes. The fees also include rental spaces at the new airport and airport parking fees for those flying out to major airports.
Vehicle parking at the renovated parking lots include an initial fee of $5 per day, per parking spot in Lot 1 and Lot 2 – the lots closer to both the old and new terminals.
The daily parking rate would begin in early 2027, and is expected to rise incrementally by 2031 to $5.74.
Lots 3 and 4 would remain free parking.
Parking revenues show that Lot 1 would have a capacity of 37 parking spaces, Lot 2 would have 68 parking spaces, Lot 3 would hold 165 parking spaces and Lot 4 would have 200 parking spaces.
Expected occupancy for Lot 1 would be 100%, with Lot 2 at 85% occupancy.
The study also showed competitive airports parking fees, with regional airports like Ponca City, Norman and Guthrie still offering free airport parking.
Stillwater’s airport is one of only four commercial service airports in the state and the only commercial service airport in the state that didn’t charge for parking, Reed previously told the City Council.
Jordan’s presentation also looked at airfield, terminal, landside, parking and administrative costs.
“The Federal Aviation Administration pretty much mandates everything that airports can do,” Jordan said.
“Once you accept a federal dollar, airports are required and have to sign onto … the rates and charges portion of the grant assurance.”
Grant Assurance 24, a fee and rental structure, is the grant applying most of the rental fee structures to airports, and much of that has to do with trying to make airports as self-sustainable as possible, Jordan said.
An airport has to maintain a fee and rental structure that will cover operational and maintenance costs as much as possible, balance market competitiveness with attracting and retaining commercial aeronautical services and adhere to fair and reasonable charges for aeronautical and non-aeronautical users, according to the study.
Jordan’s presentation pointed out “historically, operating revenues have failed to keep pace with rising costs, forcing the City of Stillwater to subsidize the airport’s shortfall.”
The new rates and charges are an effort to balance the rising costs with SRA’s expenses.
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