Washington state’s Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) has included within its recently released Phase I report a preliminary list of six airport sites possessing the potential for expansion.
Arlington Municipal Airport, Bremerton National Airport, Paine Field, Sanderson Field Airport, Tacoma Narrows Airport, and Ed Carlson Memorial Field could meet some of the demand for air passenger service, air cargo operations, and/or general aviation.
“The list of six potential sites should only be considered preliminary because it only includes existing airports at this time,” CACC Chair David Fleckenstein said. “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.”
Authorities noted the next step would be to initiate public engagement as a means of collecting input about the state’s future air transportation demand, adding the CACC has received concerns regarding noise and environmental and societal impacts.
The agency is expected to consider measures to reduce noise and emissions from aircraft, with officials noting some of those measures may include the potential use of Community Benefits Agreements at select airports.
The CACC’s next virtual webinar is slated for next month, while the panel’s next official meeting will be in the spring.