The Pressing Need for Airport Expansion

Representatives from the Santa Rosa Chamber joined Sonoma County Airport Manager Jon Stout as he presented expansion proposals to Sonoma County Supervisors aimed at increasing both parking and terminal capacity to keep up with increasing passenger traffic. With a 10 percent increase in passenger numbers last year, and daily flights scheduled to be added this year, there is a pressing need to expand the terminal and parking lots before reaching capacity.

"This expansion is critical to ensure business and tourist traveler satisfaction, especially with these increasing passenger numbers and flights to Orange County coming on line this spring," says Chamber CEO Jonathan Coe. "Further, if our collaborative efforts to secure future service to east-bound travel hubs is to be successful, we need to address the issues of capacity before they become problematic."

The expansion proposal would nearly double long-term parking spaces as well as terminal seating, security areas, baggage claim and airline counter capacity. County Supervisors are expected to revisit airport expansion plans this spring.