Between 1989 and 1992, the Port of Seattle and Puget Sound Regional Council conducted a public study of possible solutions to this problem. Known as “Flight Plan,” the two-year-plus effort entailed extensive citizen outreach and technical analysis of numerous options for meeting regional air travel needs through 2020.
Passage of Resolution A-93-03 modified the Regional Airport System Plan to accommodate construction of a third runway at Sea-Tac and development of a major supplemental airport, subject to studies and findings of Expert Review Panels appointed by the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation. The panel charged to research the feasibility of a new airport never met because the Puget Sound Regional Council soon abandoned its quest for a second airport as infeasible. The panel appointed to explore the potential effectiveness of improved “demand and systems management” approaches at Sea-Tac never met because this option was also deemed inadequate. This left one active panel to review and verify Sea-Tac’s plans and performance in reducing aircraft noise impacts on its neighbors.
After extensive public hearings and input, the Regional Council formally concluded that no feasible site could be found in the region for a supplemental airport with adoption of Resolution EB-94-01 on October 27, 1994. The Expert Panel later reported that demand and system management improvements would be inadequate to cope with projected capacity needs. It also found that Sea-Tac noise abatement efforts had fallen short of PSRC goals and recommended stricter standards and criteria for noise reductions. These findings led to adoption of PSRC Resolution A-96-02 on July 11, 1996, which reaffirmed development of a third Sea-Tac runway subject to better progress on noise abatement and mitigation.