Port Authority eyes Portland connection, considers land purchase to protect future growth

WENATCHEE — The Chelan-Douglas Regional Port Authority is pursuing two parallel strategies at Pangborn Memorial Airport: add a long-discussed flight connection to Portland and secure land near the runway that leaders say could protect the airport’s long-term future.

Both conversations took shape during a market update delivered Tuesday, February 10, by consultant Jack Penning of Volaire Aviation, who outlined shifting passenger demand, airline consolidation and the competitive landscape small airports now face.

Penning told commissioners that travel demand within Pangborn’s study area has grown 43% since 2019, translating to roughly 500 additional passengers per day compared to pre-pandemic levels. Yet only 8% of travelers in that catchment area are currently beginning their trips at Pangborn, down from 17% in 2019.

“There’s a lot of demand here,” Penning said. “The question is whether there’s enough capacity to capture it.”

The Port’s market analysis stretches beyond Wenatchee and East Wenatchee to include parts of Kittitas County. Penning noted that two zip codes in the Ellensburg area are configured in a way that includes travelers who tend to use Wenatchee as their primary airport.

While Seattle-Tacoma International Airport remains the dominant gateway, Penning said Spokane’s share of the region’s market has grown from 17% to 24% since 2019. Pangborn’s share, by comparison, has fallen, largely due to seat limitations rather than lack of interest.

Commissioners focused much of the discussion on Portland. Penning described Portland as a potentially more efficient connecting airport than Seattle because of its layout and Alaska Airlines’ evolving hub strategy there.

“The goal is Portland,” Penning said, adding that Alaska Airlines has expressed interest but must weigh aircraft availability and competitive incentives offered by other communities. He described Portland as developing into a timed connecting hub with clusters of flights arriving and departing within tight windows, making it easier for smaller markets to plug into the broader network.

Penning also cautioned that the airline industry has changed dramatically in recent years. Order books show relatively few new 76-seat regional jets on the way, he said, while far more orders are for aircraft closer to 190 seats. Airlines are flying larger planes into fewer markets.

“If you can’t handle bigger equipment, you’re going to be left out,” Penning said.

He noted that Alaska Airlines has added relatively few new cities in recent years, even as it has increased total seat capacity by deploying larger aircraft. Delta Air Lines has similarly trended toward consolidation in domestic markets.

Commissioners also explored the possibility of international service, including Guadalajara. Penning said carriers such as Viva Aerobus and Volaris are expanding in western U.S. regional markets, though he emphasized that international passenger service requires customs and border facilities that can be cost-prohibitive.

As an example, he described a Midwestern airport project working toward a full customs facility that could cost approximately $25 million up front, with about $240,000 annually to staff customs agents, even for limited service.

“It’s not impossible,” Penning said, “but it’s not a small lift.”

While air service expansion dominated the presentation, commissioners also turned their attention to the ground beneath the runway.

Port staff described a 45-acre orchard and open space parcel near the main runway, formerly associated with VanWell Nursery, which is in the process of liquidating assets. Approximately 10 acres of that parcel fall within an FAA clear zone and could be eligible for reimbursement of up to 90%, though repayment could take several years.

Commissioners discussed a potential $300,000 down payment, appraisal costs estimated at $6,500 plus a $2,500 review, and due diligence including a Phase I environmental assessment. A monthly payment figure of approximately $18,000 was also referenced during discussion.

Leaders framed the potential purchase as a long-term protection measure, preserving compatible land uses near the runway as aircraft trends shift toward larger equipment and as development pressures increase around the airport.

Taken together, the discussions underscored a broader reality: Pangborn’s future will not be determined by a single flight announcement or a single land deal. It will be shaped by how consistently local travelers choose to fly close to home, how aggressively the Port competes for service and how carefully it guards the space that keeps airplanes climbing safely over the valley.

For a region that has grown accustomed to thinking of air travel as a convenience, the message from Tuesday’s meeting was more sobering — and more hopeful. The demand is here. The runway is here. The opportunity, commissioners were reminded, is not whether Wenatchee can fly, but how much of its own future it is willing to hold onto.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media