Tri-Cities Airport sees boardings take off in 2014

The Tri-Cities Airport had its second-best year on record in 2014, seeing boardings rise by about 1 percent the previous year.

In addition to kicking off a once-in-a-generation remodel, the Pasco airport saw boardings climb to nearly 329,700 last year.

It’s about 3,000 more passengers than the airport saw the previous year, when federal budget cuts, fewer flights and fog cut into airport use.

That means 2012 still remains the record year for the airport, with about 331,300 boardings, but not by much, said Ron Foraker, airport director.

The growth spurred the Transportation Security Administration to add about 20 employees and a second security line in 2012.

Boardings fluctuated throughout 2014, with some months up over the previous year, and some months down, Foraker said. But the airport ended the year strong, seeing a 5 percent increase in December compared with the same month the previous year.

The airport had no unusual changes to service, Foraker said.

Construction on the terminal does not appear to be influencing how much the airport is being used, Foraker said. Customers overall have been supportive of the project, which will more than double the size of the terminal.

Workers are building the raised portion of the Pasco airport’s new concourse, which is elevated by 5 feet from ground level and will feature two gates to serve aircraft larger than those now using the airport. A ground-level gate also is under construction. A new screening lane will be built between the existing building and the new concourse.

Inside the terminal, workers are renovating what was the car rental and baggage claim area. Baggage claim is temporarily located in a tent outside. The car rental offices also have been temporarily moved.

The current phase of construction is expected to finish in August. At the end of this phase, the staircase and elevator to the second floor of the terminal will be moved to the front of the building to open up space near security, Foraker said.

The central gathering space for the boarding area, which will feature a large window with a view of the runway, and the other two gates on the concourse will be built as part of phase 2.

Remodeling and expanding the front of the terminal building, including the airline ticketing area, will be part of the third and final phase of the project. Construction is expected to finish around January 2017.

Altogether, the expansion and remodel of the terminal building, the relocation of the VHF Omnidirectional Range station, or VOR, and the realignment of a taxiway will cost about $57 million. Of that, $28.5 million is being paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration.

It’s difficult to tell if the terminal expansion will help the airport see gains in ridership. Foraker said successfully attracting flights to new destinations to the airport would help grow boardings.

The Port of Pasco continues to encourage airlines to expand service to the airport, he said. Most of the focus right now is in trying to get a direct flight to Los Angeles.

Tri-Citians departing from the Pasco airport have to go through Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City or San Francisco, then transfer to fly into Los Angeles.

For more information on the construction, go to http://www.flytricities.com/.

This story was originally published January 17, 2015 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Tri-Cities Airport sees boardings take off in 2014."