Senate
passes legislation to assess long-term aviation needs in
Washington
“Every study done to date concerning Washington’s
aviation needs points to the benefits of offering service at
Paine Field.”
March 12, 2005
OLYMPIA
- The
Washington State Senate today passed legislation designed to
assess the long-term aviation needs in Washington state,
including future airport siting.
Sen. Dave
Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, and co-sponsor of Engrossed Substitute
Senate Bill 5121, said the legislation helps substantiate
Everett’s Paine Field as a viable and attractive option for
future aviation needs.
“Every
study done to date concerning Washington’s aviation needs
points to the benefits of offering service at Paine Field,”
Schmidt said. “The future of commercial aviation
service includes more point-to-point services, smaller
airplanes with greater fuel efficiencies, and increased local
services to meet customer demands. If there’s any
location in the Western United States that is ideally suited
to handle these needs, numerous studies show Paine Field is at
the top of the list.”
Engrossed
Substitute Senate Bill 5121 directs the Aviation Division of
the Washington State Department of Transportation to conduct a
statewide airport capacity and facilities assessment.
The assessment must include a statewide analysis, regarding
both commercial aviation and general aviation, of existing
airport facilities, and passenger and air cargo transportation
capacity. The results of the study must be reported back
to the Legislature, the governor and regional transportation
planning organizations by July 1, 2006.
“With
Homeland Security issues taking center stage now, a backup
aviation facility is vital to every major metropolitan
area,” Schmidt said. “Imagine the havoc and the
economic loss if Sea-Tac Airport were to be shut down for any
length of time due to security concerns. A second
viable aviation facility is desperately needed for the whole
Western Washington region.”
The
legislation passed the Senate 47-1 and now goes to the House
of Representatives for further consideration.
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