It was named after Wiley Post, the first pilot to fly solo around the world, who died in the same 1935 crash as the namesake of the city's other major airport, Will Rogers World Airport.
It is the FAA-designated reliever airport for Will Rogers World Airport and serves business and corporate air travelers and functions as a center for general aviation. In addition, the northwest Oklahoma City airport provides an environment for aviation-related industry.
In the year ending July 7, 2021, Wiley Post logged 55,293 flight operations.[2] This figure accounts for only those operations logged by the air traffic control tower, which is open daily from 7 A.M. until 10 P.M.
The airport provides a base for over 300 aircraft in its leased hangars. These range from single and twin engine planes to turboprop and jet aircraft.
Accidents
On March 4, 2008, a Cessna Citation I operated by Interstate Helicopters impacted terrain 4.1 miles SW of Wiley Post Airport after takeoff because of wing structure damage caused by impact with one or more large birds (American white pelicans). All 5 occupants (2 crew, 3 passengers) were killed.[3]