OLYMPIA, Washington — The Washington Department of Transportation’s Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission recently released its Phase I report that includes several recommendations, including a preliminary list of six airport sites with the potential for expansion.
The report also includes a proposal to meet near-term aviation demand at two or more existing airports while the work to locate a new airport continues.
The six preliminary airport sites are Arlington Municipal Airport, Bremerton National Airport, Paine Field (Snohomish County Airport), Sanderson Field Airport (Shelton), Tacoma Narrows Airport (Gig Harbor), and Ed Carlson Memorial Field (South Lewis County Airport).
“The list of six potential sites should only be considered preliminary because it only includes existing airports at this time,” said David Fleckenstein, CACC chair. “Additional work needs to be done to identify potential sites that may be more appropriate for a major airport. The work of the CACC was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which constrained opportunities for community engagement.”
A critical next step for the commission is to engage the public to collect input about Washington’s future air transportation demand. Commission officials note they have heard many concerns about noise and the effects on the environment and society. Future work will provide an opportunity to consider measures to reduce both noise and harmful emissions from aircraft. Some of those measures may include the potential use of Community Benefits Agreements at select airports.
The CACC’s next upcoming virtual webinar will be in February and next official meeting in the spring. The website will be updated as soon as the dates are confirmed.
The report was requested by the Washington state Legislature in Substitute Senate Bill 5370 to meet Washington’s aviation capacity needs.
The Mayor of Gig Harbor, in concurrence with Pierce County (the airport operator), told the CACC and the Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation Division, to take Tacoma Narrows Airport off the list.