Southwest Airlines adds Tulsa-Chicago route
Southwest Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Tulsa International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport in June, airline executives said Monday.
Southwest, the Dallas-based discount carrier that operates 20 flights a day at Tulsa International Airport, is the first airline to offer nonstop service to Midway, the largest airport in Southwest's network with 235 daily departures.
"Midway will provide our customers with an expansive network of connecting opportunities to the northeast and convenient access to one of our nation's largest cities," Tulsa Airports Director Jeff Mulder said.
Southwest will operate the new Chicago nonstop service with 143-passenger Boeing 737 aircraft, beginning June 2, airline executives said.
Southwest's service from Tulsa International Airport to Midway International Airport will operate seven days a week.
- D.R. STEWART, World Staff Writer
State's jobless rate creeps up
Oklahoma's jobless rate rose for the fourth straight month, climbing to 5.3 percent in October, according to information released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
October's rate increased from 5.2 percent in September. A year ago at the same time, the state's rate was 6.3 percent.
"This isn't a huge move ... so it doesn't necessarily give me any kind of heartburn about what is going on," said Steve Agee, dean of Oklahoma City University's Meinders School of Business. "I think most of that is attributed to the increase in the labor force, and so that is a good sign."
Oklahoma is doing well relative to the rest of the nation, and people are coming back into the labor force looking for work, Agee said.
- LAURIE WINSLOW, World Staff Writer
Hertz plans to maintain Tulsa presence
A day after its $2.3 billion acquisition of Tulsa's Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc., Hertz Global Holdings Inc. executives said Tuesday the rental car operator will retain a presence in Tulsa after the companies are integrated.
Speaking to Dollar Thrifty employees at the company's corporate offices at 5310 E. 31st St., Hertz Chairman and CEO Mark Frissora thanked the Tulsa company's workers for their hard work that has made the company so successful.
Frissora's appearance was not open to the public, he declined interview requests, and the company did not provide a statement of his remarks.
Hertz spokesman Richard Broome, however, said company executives made a commitment to Dollar Thrifty employees, 780 of whom work in Tulsa, that the Park Ridge, N.J., company would not abandon its Tulsa operations.
Hertz also has a regional operations center in Oklahoma City that employs 1,700 people. Hertz employs 24,000 workers companywide.
"We haven't figured out what the scale of the (Tulsa) presence will be," Broome said. "We will provide more details as we go through the integration process. ... We plan to make a decision in a 90-to-180-day time frame."
- D.R. STEWART, World Staff Writer
Oil production hits highs in U.S., Oklahoma
Pipe dreams must become realities if the U.S. is to regain its place as the world's biggest oil producer in eight years, industry insiders said Wednesday.
U.S. oil output spiked to 6.7 million barrels per day last week, the biggest production average since May 1994, according to the federal Energy Department. Oklahoma's crude oil numbers, meanwhile, are reaching 15-year highs.
Some say this means that the U.S. will overtake Saudi Arabia as the biggest producer by 2020. Others point out that American infrastructure needs to catch up with drilling success.
"The increased production must be complemented with new pipeline infrastructure which is necessary to transport the crude oil from where it is produced to where it is consumed," said Bruce Heine, spokesman for Tulsa-based Magellan Midstream Partners LP. "After all, pipelines are the safest, most reliable and cost-effective mode of transportation when compared to other alternatives."
Magellan was historically a refined petroleum pipeline and terminal firm, bringing in gasoline, jet fuel and ethanol blending, until 2010. The Tulsa firm is now working on two major Texas pipeline projects, the BridgeTex and reversing the former Longhorn line, due to be completed in the next year or two.
Oklahoma is no slouch at oil production, ranking in the top five states behind Texas, North Dakota, Alaska and California. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's more recent figures estimated Oklahoma oil production at 7.28 million barrels in August.
- ROD WALTON, World Staff Writer
Ministry offers support to job-seekers
The day Larry Scott learned he was losing his job was a shock.
Recently, Scott took a moment to compose himself and restrain tears before beginning to share his story with a room of about 50 people - many of them still job searching.
"I'm speaking with emotion because this is a God thing. The day I got the news ... 'we don't need you anymore' about two months ago, that was not in my game plan. That was total shock and awe."
But Scott didn't waste time, and he got on the phone to start networking. A friend directed him to the Employment Transition Ministry (ETM), where he acquired advice with his resume and other job-related tips.
Today, Scott is doing contract IT work for a local company. As he told others, "There is a future and a hope."
Scott's job-search success story was one of several shared recently during a special lunch that ETM hosts annually to give job seekers hope, encouragement and advice.
The ETM program was launched in March 2009 when the country's economy was falling apart. Although Tulsa's economy hadn't hit bottom yet, a group of individuals, including Gip Gipson of Summit Bank and the late David Berry Miller, decided to reach out and connect with people in search of work, said Bill Johnson, an ETM volunteer.
About 40 people gather every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First United Methodist Church downtown to network, receive advice and support in their job search.
- LAURIE WINSLOW, World Staff Writer
