PASCO -- The Tri-Cities Airport will need to expand to keep up with demand in the next 20 years, according to a consultant's report.
The area's population growth and the use of bigger, more fuel-efficient planes will require improvements in the terminal building, parking areas and the tarmac, including runways, said a consultant during a Wednesday presentation on the airport's updated draft master plan to the Port of Pasco Commission.
The draft plan, which serves as a guide for future development, projects an annual growth of about 2 percent in aviation activity, largely in passenger boardings, aircraft operations and cargo at the Tri-Cities Airport through 2028, said Damon Smith, project engineer with Mead & Hunt, an aviation consulting company hired by the port.
The plan lays out various scenarios for development. It's not set in stone and can be tweaked, Smith said. "It will depend on the activity level."
Smith also said the port needs to plan ahead and make requests for potential zoning changes and acquisition of rights of way on land beyond the airport that may be necessary to accommodate future growth.
It's good that the port has plenty of land available to begin with, he said. The only downside: Some of the older building may have to be demolished, he said.
"It was a big overview," said Jim Toomey, the port's executive director, of the presentation.
The ongoing parking lot expansion project is an example of the rapid growth the airport has seen, particularly in the last year or so with the start of new direct flights to various destinations, Toomey said.
For its size, the Tri-Cities Airport is doing well, Smith said. Passenger boardings have increased annually as airlines have offered more direct flights from Pasco to larger metro areas.
The next element of the master plan will be on how to budget for the planned projects, he said.
A good chunk of airport projects are funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA has provided 95 percent of the $600,000 fee for the master plan update.
It is prudent to take a closer look at the plan in a three- to five-year window to see how it is working or if any changes are needed whenever the port is ready to spend the money on specific improvements, Smith said.
The plan is being updated with input from airport stakeholders and local planning agencies.
For more information on the draft master plan, go to www.meadhunt.com/tricities-airport.
A public information workshop is planned in February.
-- Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com; Business Beat blog at www.tricityherald.com
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