Oklahoma Delegation Strengthens Global Aerospace Partnerships at 2026 Farnborough International Airshow

The Oklahoma Aerospace & Defense team (ACES), a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, recently returned home from the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow in London. There, the team showcased the state’s second-largest and fastest-growing industry on one of the world’s biggest aviation stages.

The Oklahoma delegation attending the show included Governor Kevin Stitt, Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, Representative Daniel Pae, Senator Kelly Hines, 12 Oklahoma companies and nine community and organizational partners.

“When the world’s leading aerospace and defense companies come together for one of the industry’s largest events, Oklahoma has to be part of the conversation,” said John Budd, Oklahoma Commerce CEO. “These companies are looking for a place to innovate, invest and grow, and there’s no better place to do that than Oklahoma because of our low cost of doing businesses and commitment to cutting red tape. The relationships we build at Farnborough will continue to create opportunities back home to Oklahoma.”

During the show, the Oklahoma delegation met with nearly 100 companies to showcase the advantages of doing business in Oklahoma and strengthen relationships. Farnborough also provided the ideal stage to announce a series of significant developments that will generate millions of dollars in new capital investment, further solidifying Oklahoma’s position as a global leader in aerospace and defense.

• Park Aerospace: During Oklahoma’s Tuesday reception at Farnborough, Lt. Governor Pinnell announced that Park Aerospace has selected Oklahoma for a new advanced composite materials manufacturing facility at Tulsa International Airport. The $65 million investment is expected to create more than 100 new jobs.
• MST Manufacturing: Claremore-based MST Manufacturing, a vertically integrated precision manufacturing company, announced a series of significant milestones during the show. The announcements include a new three-year commercial agreement with GAM Enterprises, a long-term agreement with Progressive Alloy, a multi-million dollar deal with Sunshine Metals and the achievement of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1 compliance.
• KIHOMAC: Oklahoma City-based KIHOMAC, an aerospace and defense manufacturing, engineering and services company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ITI Engineering. The agreement is for both companies to jointly pursue opportunities that support forward F-35 sustainment and Agile Combat Employment (ACE).
• ODAA & OSIDA: Before the airshow began, Governor Stitt announced a new strategy from the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics and the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority to grow Oklahoma’s role in the fast-expanding space industry and position the state to compete for jobs, investment and federal contracts as the global space economy nearly triples over the next decade.

“Farnborough continues to be one of the most valuable events we attend because it brings together customers, suppliers and decision-makers from across the global aerospace industry in one place,” said Kenny Statton, MST President and CEO. “Year after year, we’ve returned from this show with new business opportunities and stronger relationships. “We’re grateful to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and ACES for their continued partnership and for creating opportunities for Oklahoma companies like ours to compete and grow on the global stage.”

The aerospace and defense industry has a $44 billion annual economic impact in Oklahoma. More than 1,100 aerospace entities have operations in in the state. These include Tinker Air Force Base and the American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Center in Tulsa—the two largest maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) facilities in the world.

“It was exciting to have the opportunity to tell Oklahoma’s aerospace and defense story on the world stage,” said Oklahoma Representative Daniel Pae. “I was proud to see the Department of Commerce and ACES working alongside other state agencies, community partners, and businesses to promote our state’s second-largest industry. Events like Farnborough make it clear why it’s so important for Oklahoma to have a presence where global aerospace leaders come together to do business and build partnerships.”

“The world’s aerospace industry converged on the Farnborough Airshow last week and I was extremely pleased to be part of the Oklahoma delegation,” said Oklahoma Senator Kelly Hines. “The ongoing partnership between the public and private sector within our state is why aerospace is Oklahoma’s second largest industry and growing. The strategic engagements were incredible and the message was clear; Oklahoma is on the rise!”

Oklahoma companies and partners that attended the 2026 Farnborough International Air Show with Commerce include:

Companies:

• Acorn Capital Management
• Consolidated Turbine Specialists (CTS)
• CymSTAR LLC
• Dawn Aerospace
• KIHOMAC
• Mint Turbines LLC
• MST Manufacturing
• PRYER Aerospace
• Tubacex Durant & Salem Tube
• Tulsa Innovation Labs
• Wall Colmonoy Corporation
• Wilder Systems

Community Partners:

• Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation
• Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
• Oklahoma City Airport Trust
• Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education
• Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics / OSIDA
• Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance
• Rose State College
• Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust
• Tulsa Regional Chamber

Since 2018, Oklahoma companies participating in the Farnborough International Air Show and Paris Air Show alongside the State of Oklahoma have announced new projects and expansions totaling more than $551 million in capital investment and creating nearly 2,000 new jobs. The relationships and opportunities developed at these events also generate more than 60 qualified business leads for Oklahoma’s economic development pipeline each year.