Tribal cultural elements appear throughout the terminal interior, revealing the Choctaw Nation’s investment in regional aviation infrastructure. Groundbreaking occurred in September 2023, with demolition of the original terminal following shortly after. Construction took roughly two years to complete. The facility positions McAlester to host events previously impossible in the old terminal, including planned annual fly-ins and air shows. Airport leadership envisions pancake breakfast flyins and expanded community programming now that adequate indoor and outdoor gathering space exists. BUILDING MOMENTUM Former airport manager Tindle’s connection to McAlester Regional began as a teenager pumping gas and sweeping hangars at the same facility he would later manage. After serving as Manager of Airport Operations at Ardmore Municipal Airport, Tindle returned to McAlester in June 2021 with a clear mandate: transform how the city viewed its aviation asset. On his first day, he successfully advocated for moving the airport from the Public Works Department to Economic Development, fundamentally reframing the facility’s role in city operations. Tindle’s customer service philosophy was straightforward: “It doesn’t matter if someone flies in here in a Piper Cub or a G6, they are going to get the exact same service.” He backed the statement with operational changes, beginning with the city taking direct control of Fixed Base Operator services from a private contractor. The move gave airport management direct oversight of fuel sales, passenger services, and pilot experience.All fuel revenue flows back into airport improvements rather than private profits. Within two months of assuming the manager position, McAlester Public Schools approached Tindle about teaching their aviation program. He agreed, taking on a dual role as airport manager and high school adjunct instructor that embedded workforce development directly into daily operations. Tindle taught courses at the high school while managing airport functions, an arrangement that connected students to real aviation operations rather than 97 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 13, ISSUE 02 MCALESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT
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