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 3,000-acre airport south of Seattle to address Sea-Tac's increasing capacity issues is facing widespread opposition.
Three initial "greenfield" sites in Pierce and Thurston counties garnered strong public, local government, and military resistance due to concerns about noise, pollution, displacement, and conflict with military operations.
While existing general aviation airports are deemed unsuitable for expansion, a site in Yakima Valley (eastern Washington) has shown positive initial interest but presents significant challenges for access and infrastructure development from western Washington.
The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) is tasked with recommending a new airport location by June, navigating strong public sentiment and logistical hurdles for all proposed solutions.

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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.