The Will Rogers World Airport was the first airport I have ever flown out of. This building has positively impacted my life because it was the start of my interest in aviation and flying. I have always loved flying since my first flight out of the country in middle school. I flew with Frontier Airlines out of Will Rogers World Airport to Costa Rica.

Most recently, the Will Rogers World Airport has been a huge influence in my life. I have recently been interested in aviation design and have selected to redesign components of the Will Rogers World Airport for my interior design senior capstone project. I had the opportunity to connect with the airport construction superintendent of the Will Rogers World Airport for an exclusive tour of the entire airport. I got to dive deep into the behind the scenes components of the airport that an average traveler would not have access to. During the tour, I was able to see the new expansion that just partially opened to the public this fall. That tour was especially eye opening because there were more things that I thought an airport had and understood more about components that I have always wondered about like the baggage claim system.

The original airport was built in 1965 and was extremely small compared to now. They had an expansion done in 2001 by Benham to create the ticketing counters that we are used to now. I did not know that was never apart of the original building and took it for granted as a convenience. The new expansion had created a larger TSA security area and incorporated beautiful artwork in the terrazzo flooring and the new mezzanine. It felt like a completely different space than the original concourse. It was stunning. I cannot wait for when the expansion is completed and fully open to the public.