The SLO County Airport is looking ahead to the future.
The airport’s last master plan was created 20 years ago, and according to Deputy Director of Planning and Outreach Courtney Pene, it had a much different focus.
“Our original plan was really to accommodate the aircraft that were 50 passengers or less,” she said.
In the past few years, the number of travelers has increased drastically from 523,000 passengers in 2022 to 746,000 in 2024, according to Pene, meaning the airport needs to expand.
“It was really never anticipated that we would become such a busy airport, but we indeed have," Pene said.
She says departures will increase from 15 to 18 in November.
The airport will also be getting another Boeing 747 plane that carries 22 more passengers than most of the current Airbus 319s.
The airport is preparing for even bigger growth, which will mean changes at the airport, specifically on the west side where the smaller 725 runway and airport tenant hangars are located.
Currently, the master plan would decommission the 725 runway in order to add more hangar spaces. Right now, according to the airport's website, there is a 55-person waitlist for a hangar.
“With that, we really hope and intend that the general aviation community can really thrive and flourish," Pene added.
The 725 smaller runway is used for tenants with smaller aircraft like John Scarry, who says he and many other pilots would like to keep it.
“The problem for us is that it takes away a safety outlet for us," Scarry said. "If this 725 is kept open, that just gives us a much easier way to get back to safety on the runway.”
Right now, the main runway needs to be expanded, according to current FAA regulations, to accommodate the larger aircraft coming into the airport.
To do that, they will get rid of hangars by the main runway and place them on the 725 runway.
“The little runway for the little guys helps us to relieve the congestion that's going to happen when the bigger jets start coming in here,” Scarry explained.
In addition to expansion, existing areas will be improved. On August 4, construction begins on the taxiway at the airport. Also, by November, the added carports in the parking lot will be complete.
“The next 20 years is really going to look like increased general aviation traffic, larger aircraft and performing to top-level quality service," Pene concluded.
Pene says that while there are a few changes to the airport already taking place this year, many of the bigger changes, including the runway project and additional hangars, won’t happen for the next 7-10 years. She says that before any of that can even begin, a thorough environmental review will happen and that takes about 18 months.
