American Airlines plans $550 million boost to Oklahoma base

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — American Airlines plans to spend $550 million over the next seven years to spruce up its maintenance base in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The airline said on Friday that it will build a new hangar capable of handling two large widebody jets or up to six smaller planes, and make other improvements.

Tulsa is American’s largest maintenance base, and it employs more than 5,500 people. American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, had net income last year of $1.7 billion, as it got a boost from strong travel demand and a modest drop in the price of jet fuel.