A Boeing 737 taxis to a ramp. [Credit: Jeff Bough Photo/ file photo]
Key Takeaways:
An unusual facility at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, despite appearing like a terminal with jet bridges, is actually the Federal Transfer Center, a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
This 30-year-old facility serves as a central hub for the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS), a federal program that moves inmates throughout the country on Boeing 737 aircraft.
The Federal Transfer Center acts as a crucial layover point for prisoners being transferred between federal facilities or to the region where they were convicted, making JPATS the "only government-operated, regularly scheduled passenger airline in the nation."
When we think of lackluster airport terminals, the old LaGuardia (KLGA) concourses might come to mind. Perhaps the “temporary” Concourse C and D at Washington’s Dulles International Airport (KIAD) also tops the list.
But one terminal is probably unanimously disliked, and few will ever see it.
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Ryan is Group President for Firecrown's Aviation Group. In 2013, he founded AirlineGeeks.com, a leading trade publication covering the airline industry. Since then, his work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the airline industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Previously, he worked for a Part 135 operator and later a major airline. Ryan is also an Adjunct Instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
