PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles is awaiting response from the Federal Aviation Administration on a master plan that will map the next decades of the William R. Fairchild International Airport’s future.
Projected growth
“Most of the growth that we see is corporate jets,” Jeff Robb, port executive director, told the audience at Monday’s Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce meeting.
The port, along with a citizen advisory committee, has been working on the plan for about two years, Robb said.
It proposes reclaiming 1,354 feet of the east end of the runway which is not being used because Douglas fir trees in the Lincoln Park approach have grown too tall, he said.
That section must be reclaimed to accommodate the increased numbers of corporate jets as well as provide additional runway length for Kenmore Air to land during bad weather, he said.
30 extra miles
Kenmore Air, which shuttles passengers between Port Angeles and Seattle’s Boeing Field daily, currently has to fly about 30 miles extra to land from the west when weather conditions are bad.
The extra flying costs the air carrier about $160,000 to $180,000 annually, he said.
“The aviation industry is very sensitive to variables like this,” said Robb.
“There is not a large profit margin, so that really hurts them.”
If the master plan is approved by the FAA, it will go back to the port commissioners for approval.
Feedback
Robb said the FAA in Seattle is currently reviewing the plan and has already received some community feedback.
The trees in the park have grown so tall that they are encroaching on or eventually will grow into the approach zone, regulated by the FAA.
“I would estimate between 50 and 100 [trees] are encroaching on the area of the displaced runway,” Robb said.
“Now, if we were to reclaim the runway, that is another story. We aren’t really sure how many that would be.”
Robb, consultants and other port officials have said that most of the park’s trees would encroach on the area if the unused portion of the runway is regained.
If the trees are eventually cut down, smaller trees could be planted.
“Trees of about 40 or 60 feet would in no way be any kind of problem,” Robb said.
“But a lot of the trees out there are taller than 200 feet. That is where we run into difficulties.
“And they have not finished growing — if we could just top off the few trees and be done with it, it would be one thing.
“But this is going to continue to be a problem.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
