Politics & Government
Bill To Restart Airport Search Process Passes WA House
After intense pushback, Washington is one step closer to rewriting its playbook for where to build out a new airport in the years ahead.
OLYMPIA, WA — Legislation designed to rework the approach to selecting a new airport to serve Washington passed the House this week with strong bipartisan support. House Bill 1791, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Jake Fey, cleared the chamber on an 88-9 vote on Wednesday.
Fey's bill seeks to create a new work group to perform a "comprehensive investigation" of existing and new potential airport sites, effectively replacing a process that has proven controversial.
As things stand now, the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) is scheduled to deliver its recommendation of where to place a new airport to state lawmakers in June. Commissioners are considering expanding operations at Paine Field and building a brand new airport in Pierce or Thurston counties.
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In recent months the commission has narrowed its search to two rural locations outside Tacoma and one outside of Olympia. The search has garnered considerable pushback, particularly in Pierce County.
"Opposition to the state's proposed airport sites had been loud, fierce, and featured prominently in many regional and statewide news outlets," Fey said in a statement. "It was clear that the process that we established in 2019 was severely flawed. But it is also true that we need to plan for all of our future transportation needs, including increases in commercial air traffic."
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Current projects expect the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to reach capacity by 2050, which Fey noted could leave millions of passengers unable to get flights due to outsized demand.
His legislation would replace the existing commission with the "Commercial Aviation Coordinating Work Group," primarily tasked with evaluating the relative strengths and weaknesses of potential sites. Fey said part of the considerations will include ruling out areas for air development that could conflict with military operations and reviewing environmental impacts.
The bill sits in the Senate, where it will need final approval.
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