A groundbreaking is planned later this month for a new 45,000-square-foot Federal Inspection Services wing of the airport.

Construction is slated to start in February, and the facility is expected to open in the fall of 2025, airport officials said.

The airport currently has a small Customs facility located outside the main airport terminal for international cargo and private charter flights, airport officials said.

But the new facility will allow for direct international commercial flights in and out of Tulsa International Airport for the first time.

“TUL (the airport) has never had an international flight because it didn’t have customs large enough,” the architect of the project, Narrate Design, says on its website about the project.

“Currently, there is a small U.S. Customs and Border Protection office that can clear private/charter flights of 20 passengers or fewer and cargo flights, but nothing that can accommodate large commercial aircraft,” the Tulsa design firm said.

Narrate “has teamed up with aviation and mobility specialists Corgan to design and construct this game-changing addition to TUL,” Narrate said.

“The new 45,000-square-foot FIS (Federal Inspection Services) facility will be the first thing travelers see upon arrival at the airport. The interior will feature local landmarks and Tulsa’s signature art deco on graphics and design details, showcasing our city for international travelers.”

Airport officials are initially working to market international flights in and out of Tulsa mainly to Cancun, Mexico, and other areas in and around the Caribbean, said Andrew Pierini, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at the airport.

“Cancun is our most popular (international) destination,” he said. “We’re marketing with both domestic and foreign carriers.”

American, Delta, Southwest and United are U.S.-based carriers that currently fly to both Tulsa and Cancun. More than 50 other commercial and government-affiliated international airlines also have flights in and out of the resort city on the tip of Mexico’s eastern peninsula.

The new customs facility is currently being promoted with an image on digital TV screens at the airport.

Additional details will be announced at the groundbreaking for the new facility later this month, airport officials said, with remarks by Mayor G.T. Bynum and others expected.

“Major improvements for the Tulsa International Airport (TUL) mean nonstop international flights will be landing at TUL in the next 5 years,” Narrate said.

In 2021, the Tulsa World reported that then-U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe asked for $5 million in federal appropriations to build a new federal inspection service facility at Tulsa International.

Customs and Border Patrol officials notified the airport five years ago that it would discontinue operations in Tulsa unless facilities are upgraded, the Tulsa World reported in 2021.

The project is among several currently underway at the airport.

Last month, airport officials announced plans for a $2.3 million lounge that has locally-sourced food and beverages, in-house chefs and high-speed Wi-Fi.

Construction of the new lounge has started, with plans to open by next fall.

The lounge will be located past the security checkpoint. It will be open to anyone with a boarding pass but will cost $40 to $45 for most by purchasing a daily pass.

Airport officials also are moving forward with construction of a new air traffic control tower as they work to secure funding for the project, which now exceeds $100 million.

The Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust is expected to award a construction contract in March, and the new tower project is scheduled to take approximately two years to complete.

The current tower was built in 1962 and, according to Inhofe in 2021, “does not meet present day building codes or the FAA’s operational standards.”