FINAL REPORT September 2008 SOUTHEAST REGION AVIATION SYSTEM PLAN FINAL REPORT DOT&PF Project No. 68992 Prepared for: State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Southeast Region Prepared by: DOWL Engineers 4041 B Street Anchorage, Alaska 99503 (907) 562-2000 and Southeast Strategies 900 1st Street, Suite 12 Douglas, Alaska 99824 W.O. D59785 November 2008 Southeast Region Aviation System Plan September 2008 Final Report DOT&PF Project No. 68922 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 PROJECT GOALS AND TASKS .......................................................................................1 2.0 FACILITIES INVENTORY ................................................................................................1 2.1 Regional Overview ...........................................................................................................1 2.1.1 Ownership and Use .....................................................................................................5 2.1.2 1996 Alaska Aviation System Plan Classification of Southeast Aviation Facilities ......................................................................................................................6 2.2 Hub Airports .....................................................................................................................7 2.3 Airports ...........................................................................................................................10 2.3.1 General ......................................................................................................................13 2.3.2 Runways ....................................................................................................................14 2.3.3 Taxiways ...................................................................................................................15 2.3.4 Lease Lots and Utilities ............................................................................................15 2.3.5 Pavement ...................................................................................................................18 2.4 Seaplane Bases ................................................................................................................19 2.5 Helicopter Facilities ........................................................................................................22 2.6 Airport Revenues and Expenses .....................................................................................24 2.7 Historical Capital Improvement Projects at Aviation Facilities .....................................25 2.8 Maintenance and Operations ...........................................................................................27 2.9 User Comments on Southeast Facilities .........................................................................28 3.0 AIR NAVIGATION ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................31 3.1 Overview .........................................................................................................................31 3.2 Legacy Systems ..............................................................................................................31 3.3 Navigation Improvements Prior to 2003 .........................................................................33 3.3.1 Global Positioning System ........................................................................................33 3.3.2 Required Navigational Performance .........................................................................33 3.4 Recent Capstone Improvements .....................................................................................33 3.4.1 Aircraft Instrumentation ............................................................................................34 3.4.2 Transceivers ..............................................................................................................36 3.4.3 Airways .....................................................................................................................38 3.4.4 Approaches ...............................................................................................................39 3.5 Future Issues/NextGen Implementation .........................................................................39 3.5.1 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast .........................................................40 3.5.2 Transceivers/Navaids ................................................................................................40 3.5.3 Decommissioning/Backup System ...........................................................................41 3.5.4 Winds/Weather .........................................................................................................41 3.5.5 Airways .....................................................................................................................42 3.6 Impacts on Operations in Southeast Alaska ....................................................................42 3.6.1 Participation in the Instrument Flight Rules System ................................................42 3.6.2 Impact on Overall Safety ..........................................................................................43 4.0 AVIATION BUSINESSES ...............................................................................................44 4.1 Ground Service Providers ...............................................................................................44 4.2 Carrier Inventory .............................................................................................................44 4.2.1 Carrier Bases, Facilities, and Fleet ...........................................................................48 4.2.2 Routing and Frequency of Scheduled Air Carrier Service .......................................53 4.2.3 Future Changes in Fleet and Service ........................................................................59 4.3 Cost per Passenger Mile for Air Carriers Operating in the Region ................................61 Page i Southeast Region Aviation System Plan September 2008 Final Report DOT&PF Project No. 68922 TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont’d) Page 5.0 AIR TRAFFIC ACTIVITY IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA ................................................66 5.1 Southeast Alaska Economic Profile ................................................................................66 5.1.1 Population .................................................................................................................66 5.1.2 Economic Activity ....................................................................................................68 5.1.2.1 Employment .....................................................................................................68 5.1.2.2 Major Economic Sectors ..................................................................................71 5.2 Travel Patterns in Southeast Alaska ...............................................................................78 5.3 Air Traffic Activity in Southeast Alaska ........................................................................84 5.3.1 Historic and Current System Activity .......................................................................84 5.3.1.1 Enplanements ...................................................................................................85 5.3.1.2 Scheduled Air Traffic by Origin ......................................................................86 5.3.1.3 Scheduled Air Traffic by City Pair ..................................................................89 5.3.1.4 Operations ........................................................................................................96 5.3.1.5 Instrument Operations ......................................................................................99 5.3.1.6 Based Aircraft ................................................................................................100 5.3.1.7 General Aviation Transient Traffic ................................................................101 5.3.1.8 Planes and Pilots ............................................................................................102 5.4 Aviation Trends in the Southeast Alaska Region .........................................................103 5.4.1 Communities with Certified and High Traffic Facilities ........................................103 5.5 Regional Trends and Aviation Demand ........................................................................108 5.5.1 Factors Increasing Demand for Air Travel .............................................................109 5.5.2 Factors Decreasing Demand for Air Travel ............................................................111 5.5.3 Trends Affecting Areas within the Region .............................................................112 6.0 NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................114 6.1 Airports .........................................................................................................................114 6.1.1 Runways ..................................................................................................................116 6.1.2 Runway Safety Areas ..............................................................................................117 6.1.3 Approach Obstruction Removal .............................................................................117 6.1.4