June 27, 2019August 1, 2026

Regional Aviation Baseline Study

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Puget Sound Regional Council

The Regional Aviation Baseline Study, published by the Puget Sound Regional Council in June 2019, examines the roles and interactions of 29 airports across the central Puget Sound region, including Sea-Tac as the area's primary large hub. The study aims to provide a regional perspective on how aviation activities affect communities and the broader economy, while gathering stakeholder input on aviation and airspace constraints. Its findings are intended to identify future aviation needs and lay the groundwork for long-term regional planning.

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A presentation by the Puget Sound Regional Council outlining the objectives and scope of the Regional Aviation Baseline Study for the central Puget Sound region. The study aims to identify roles of 29 regional airports, provide a regional perspective on aviation activities, obtain stakeholder input, and identify future aviation needs. The presentation includes a map of all 29 airports across Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties.

As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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