Opposition Growing to Plans For New Sea-Tac Reliever Airport

Three possible site locations are under consideration as state officials predict the airport will max out its capacity by 2050.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, February 03, 2023 at 06:07 PM ET

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Pierce County, Washington already has busy airspace, as seen taking off from Pierce County-Thun Field (KPLU). Pilots must be mindful of a U.S. Air Force base to the west and the Class Delta that belongs to Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW). [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

A proposal to build a new 3,000-acre airport south of Seattle to address Sea-Tac's projected capacity issues by 2050 is facing widespread opposition.
Three initial "greenfield" sites in Pierce and Thurston counties have been met with strong resistance from residents, local governments, and the military due to concerns about pollution, displacement, and operational incompatibility.
Existing general aviation airports in the region are considered unsuitable for expansion to accommodate commercial and cargo traffic.
An alternative location in the Yakima Valley on the east side of the state has shown initial interest, despite potential logistical challenges for access from the west side.

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A proposal to build a 3,000-acre airport to accommodate airline and cargo traffic south of Seattle continues to run into across-the-board opposition.

In October, the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) announced they were studying three locations—known as greenfields—for the construction of a new airport to handle passengers and cargo. The project, however, sparked opposition, which has been getting larger and louder ever since.