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 state commission is seeking a location for a new 3,000-acre airport to address Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's projected capacity saturation by 2050.
Three initial "greenfield" sites in Pierce and Thurston counties faced overwhelming opposition from local residents, governments, and military operations, making their development highly improbable.
The Yakima Valley on the east side of the state has emerged as a potential alternative, with strong local interest and significant economic projections, though it requires substantial infrastructure improvements for accessibility across the Cascade Mountains.

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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.