TagRegional Aviation Baseline Study(29)

The PSRC Regional Aviation Baseline Study, published in May 2021 and funded by a $1.6 million FAA grant, examines the current state and future demand of the 29 airports serving the central Puget Sound region. The study supports coordinated regional planning to ensure the airport system can meet long-term growth needs, and its findings were shared with Washington State's Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission, which is tasked with recommending sites for new or expanded commercial aviation capacity. While COVID-19 temporarily slowed passenger travel, the study notes that aviation has historically maintained consistent long-term growth despite periodic downturns.

The Regional Aviation Baseline Study, published in May 2021 by the Puget Sound Regional Council, examines the current state and future needs of the aviation system in the greater Puget Sound region, including commercial service, air cargo, and general aviation. The study evaluates airport capacity scenarios through 2050, assesses infrastructure requirements, and explores options for meeting growing regional air travel demand. It was funded by a Federal Aviation Administration grant and prepared by WSP in association with several partner firms.

The Puget Sound Regional Council's May 2021 Regional Aviation Baseline Study examines the roles and interactions of airports across the central Puget Sound region, including Sea-Tac, Paine Field, Renton, and dozens of smaller facilities spanning King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. The study aims to identify future aviation needs, gather stakeholder input on airspace constraints, and provide a regional perspective on how airports affect communities and the broader economy. Notably, PSRC clarifies that the study does not make recommendations on expanding existing airports or siting new ones.

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) 2021 Annual Report highlights the organization's 30th anniversary and its key accomplishments during the COVID-19 pandemic, including directing $549 million in federal funding to 128 regional transportation projects and adopting the VISION 2050 long-range growth plan. The report also covers efforts to advance housing and equity initiatives, conduct passenger-only ferry studies, and lead a Regional Aviation Baseline Study examining current conditions and future aviation demand across the central Puget Sound area.

This working paper, prepared for the Puget Sound Regional Council, examines four future scenarios for meeting regional aviation demand in the greater Seattle area, ranging from near-term improvements at Sea-Tac Airport through 2027 to long-term capacity expansions by 2037 and beyond. It evaluates existing and potential supplemental airports across criteria such as runway length, airspace conflicts, flood hazards, land use compatibility, and accessibility. The study aims to identify which airports could help absorb projected passenger and cargo demand that Sea-Tac alone may not be able to accommodate.

This January 2021 report documents public engagement efforts conducted by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) as part of its Regional Aviation Baseline Study, a federally funded project examining aviation needs across the 29-airport central Puget Sound region. The study gathered community input through surveys, focus group interviews, technical working groups, and virtual public meetings to understand priorities and concerns about managing future aviation growth. The findings are intended to inform future regional airport planning decisions, including considerations around noise, capacity, and community impacts.

The PSRC Aviation Baseline Study surveyed 1,416 residents and gathered public input through interviews, virtual meetings, and an online open house to understand regional priorities around aviation. Across all input methods, participants consistently favored spreading air service across multiple regional airports rather than expanding Sea-Tac or building a new airport. While randomly selected survey and interview participants emphasized economic benefits and meeting aviation demand, self-selected open house participants were more focused on noise and environmental impacts from aviation.

In this October 2020 letter, the City of Des Moines formally objected to the Puget Sound Regional Council's Regional Aviation Baseline Study, arguing that it wrongly assumes full implementation of SeaTac Airport's long-term expansion plan (the SAMP) before any required environmental review has been completed. The City warned that this flawed assumption skews all study scenarios, understates community noise and pollution impacts on neighborhoods near SeaTac, and creates a circular logic problem that undermines sound regional planning. Des Moines requested that the baseline be revised to reflect only already-approved and environmentally reviewed projects, and called for planning toward a second international airport to relieve pressure on SeaTac.

A community member submitted comments to the Highline Forum on September 23, 2020, criticizing the PSRC Regional Aviation Baseline Study for failing to address social equity, environmental justice, carbon emissions, and impacts on non-aviation transportation. The commenter also challenged the Port's Environmental Excellence Awards, arguing that recognizing minor reductions like eliminating plastic straws is insignificant compared to the much larger carbon emissions produced by jet fuel during flights. The comments call on regional government agencies to align their aviation planning and recognition programs with meaningful climate and environmental justice goals.