The Aviation commission has recommended three sites for Washington state’s next airport. Sea-Tac Airport serves about 50 million passengers a year, according to a study from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission recommended three “greenfield” sites for a new commercial airport in Washington state. This is all part of a plan to deal with the fact that Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is on track to exceed its capacity by 2050.
Demand for take-offs and landings in the region is projected to double by 2050 from over 400,000 to over 800,000 per year,” the PSRC website states. The commission expects to narrow its recommendations to a single site for a new airport by June 2023.
“Pierce County East” is the designation for a six-mile radius area south of Graham that includes state Route 161. “Pierce County Central” is a six-mile radius south of South Creek in an area where state Routes 702 and 7 converge. “Thurston County Central” is a six-mile radius southeast of East Olympia.
The 15-member body of state, industry, and community representatives voted 12-0, with one abstention, for the three locations. Any area chosen will need much more planning and research. Airspace, infrastructure requirements, air cargo, community impact, environmental challenges, and cost estimates will be part of the analysis, he explained.
The three sites were chosen from a list of 10 greenfield, or undeveloped, locations by the commission, which was tasked by the state Legislature in 2019 with identifying a potential site for a new airport to be constructed by 2040. Two of these sites were in Pierce County and one in Thurston County.
