Construction of a new commercial airport is a possibility in Western Washington. Three potential sites were recently announced by the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) — two in Pierce County and one in Thurston County.
But the CACC won’t make the final decision on any airport. The State Legislature has the final say. The CACC has a deadline of June 2023 to report its final recommendations to the Legislature, at which point state lawmakers take over the thorny issue.
This week, on the second and final episode of our “airport” series, host Austin Jenkins sits down with two state legislators with long histories in aviation, both of whom serve on the CACC: Senator Karen Keiser of Des Moines, whose legislative district includes SeaTac Airport; and Representative Tom Dent of Moses Lake, a pilot with aviation in his blood.