TULSA, OK – November 9, 2021 – This morning, the Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution to change the name of the Richard Lloyd Jones, Jr. Airport to Tulsa Riverside Airport. The new name will be effective January 1, 2022. The airport’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) code, RVS, and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) code, KRVS, will remain the same.
After surveying pilots, tenants, and other key community stakeholders, TAIT decided to return to the airport’s original name to assist with clarification in regards to its airport code (RVS) as well as geographic location. Transient pilots looking for an airport to utilize for refueling, overnighting, or other options will now be able to easily recognize the airport as an option for use. Lastly, the new name will prevent users from confusing Richard Lloyd Jones, Jr. Airport with the Jones Memorial Airport, which is located 34 miles to the southwest in Bristow, OK.
“We are excited to unveil the new Tulsa Riverside Airport name for official use. So many of our pilots and neighbors refer to the airport by this name already, so making it official was a priority of ours,” said Austin Wheeler, Airport Manager for Richard Lloyd Jones, Jr. Airport. “Working with our tenants, we opted for Tulsa Riverside Airport so that we could reduce confusion and keep the image of an airport that is open for any and all pilots who want to stop in and visit our great city.”
Richard L. Jones, Jr. was the longest tenured board member of Tulsa Airport Authority, serving from 1948 to 1978, many of those years serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees. On July 22, 1978, the Tulsa Riverside Airport was renamed the Richard Lloyd Jones, Jr. Airport to recognize his devoted service. In his thirty years of service on the Board of Trustees, Jones saw Tulsa International Airport transform to the existing modern terminal facility it is today. He was a strong advocate for the building of the Tulsa Riverside Airport to support the growth of general aviation traffic in the Tulsa area. TAIT will continue to recognize Richard L. Jones, Jr. and his impact on Tulsa’s rich aviation history by highlighting him in a new airport history display in Tulsa International Airport’s main Schwab Hall.
About Richard Lloyd Jones, Jr. Airport: The airport opened July 3, 1958 in southwest Tulsa, and is managed by Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust, which also manages Tulsa International Airport. RVS has grown to be a hub of business and economic activity for the Tulsa region. It now is home to three runways, over two hundred commercial and private hangars, and over 500 based aircraft. Over 350 employees are employed at the airport,
six flight schools are in operation, and two full-service FBOs serve its users, generating an annual economic output of $95 million. Aircraft operations (takeoffs / landings) totaled 177,452 in 2020, making RVS the busiest airport in the state and one of the top 60 busiest airports in the nation.
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