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The Purpose of the Master Plan
The Provo City Corporation, Utah, the Airport Sponsor, has initiated the preparation of the Airport Master Plan update to assess the existing and future role of the Provo Municipal Airport and to provide direction and guidance regarding short-and long-term airport development. The study will identify, analyze and document various alternatives and recommend a course of action over a period of 20 years or more to meet general aviation and potentially commercial service and air-cargo demand levels, including safety requirements, in accordance with current FAA airport design standards.
The demand for aviation services on a worldwide scale has been increasing dramatically over the past five years. The forecast is for this trend to continue for at least the next ten years. The aviation forecast in three specific areas is most dramatic: 1) scheduled and unscheduled passenger airlines; 2) air cargo; and 3) corporate aviation.
The Provo Municipal Airport is part of the national transportation system that will be affected by the significant growth in demand for aviation services. The national transportation system consists of a complex network of both air and surface (land and water) systems. The airspace system consists of the movement of aircraft from point-to-point as will as airport facilities. The airport portion of the system comprises approximately 3,300 airports in the United States that are considered significant to the capacity of the national airspace system. There are an additional 11,000 airports that are also in the system. These 3,300 airports are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport systems (NPIAS) and are therefore eligible to receive grants under the Federal Airport Improvement Program. (AIP).
Of the AIP eligible airports, 423 are considered primary airports handling the vast majority of scheduled commercial service operations that each enplane more than 10,000 passenger's annually. These airports, with their high level of commercial activity, from the vital network of air transportation needed to ensure the movement of people and cargo critical to interstate commerce and international
competitiveness.
Taking this system to a more local level, the Utah system of airports consists of one large hub, primary airports, the Salt Lake City International Airport, and two other primary commercial services airports serving St. George and Wendover. Additionally, there are four non-primary airports with commercial service - Cedar City, Moab, Bryce Canyon, and Vernal. The balance of the Utah airport system is considered general aviation with varying degrees of use and importance.
Provo Airport is considered a general aviation airport in the Utah Airport System. However, the Provo Airport is potentially more significant than that. There are various ways of looking at the Provo Airport. One of these is in terms of commercial service. If one considers the current situation of commercial air service in the Wasatch Front Region, a geographic area that extend generally from Brigham City on the north to Spanish fork on the south, there are two airports possibilities to supplement Salt Lake International Airport's role in serving commercial air service requirements. These are the Ogden-Hinckley Airport and the Provo Airport. It is believed by many that the opportunity exists now for either or both of these airports to justify the introduction of scheduled airline service. The potential is enhanced by the continued economic and demographic growth along the Wasatch Front and as operating capacities of the Salt Lake City International Airport and the vehicular access system serving it are further exceeded
National projections prepared by the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the number of passenger enplanements and aircraft operations are expected to double from their current levels by the year 2015. Specifically, the Slat Lake City International Airport is forecast to enplane 22,070,000 passengers by the year 2015, more than twice its present activity. These forecasts assume that the national and State economies will continue to remain strong and that such items as road infrastructure will be further developed to support that increase in aviation activity.
As part of the Salt Lake City International Airport Master Plan completed in 1997, a survey concluded that between 10 and 14 percent of the passengers using the Airport originated or were destined to the Provo area. This area geographically known as the Utah Valley which consists of the area south of "Point of Mountain" or Alpine south to Spanish Fork. Other studies suggest that this usage could be as high as 19 percent.
This data suggests that there certainly is a Provo area air service market to draw upon provided certain factors related to airline economics can be successfully addressed. These include pricing, frequency of service, equipment (aircraft type) and facility support. The Provo Airport Master Plan Update has evaluated this potential.
Another component of the air service market includes air cargo. Examination of those factors contributing to the provision of air cargo service - area economics, location manufacturing centers and business market - suggests that opportunities exist fro such service at the Provo Airport. This potential market is also considered in preparing the Airport Master Plan.
A third and vital component of the air transportation industry is general aviation, and in particular, the corporate aviation segment. The Provo area includes those industries that utilize general aviation aircraft in the conduct of their business, and there are sufficiently high levels of household discretionary income to support pleasure air travel in small general aviation aircraft. The Provo Airport supports this activity by providing airside and landside facilities to meet the needs of those users. Additional facilities will be required to continue to meet growing demand and thus contribute to higher levels of Airport activity, revenue and economic development in the Provo area.
Objectives
Assessing airport needs is often a complex and difficult task. Some basic questions that come to mind are: Which airport services are the most attractive to new business and existing uses and why? What will it cost to get airport infrastructure in place? What kind of companies are likely to be interested in the airport? What will the basic needs for the airport be? And last, but not least, how does your airport rank against others?
Usually, it gets down to economic development efforts and how the community or region uses its resources, including the airport, to achieve this goal. Expectations and fierce competition have changed the airport service playing field. Unfortunately, many communities do not have a firm understanding of their airport capabilities and potential. What makes your airport so important? How does a vital airport benefit the community by attracting businesses that provide more high paying jobs and services? Answers to these types of question help guide the community to establishing an airport improvement plan and program that contributes to achieving this goal. This master plan attempts to answer these questions.
Finally, the basic objective of this effort is to evaluate and develop master plan concepts and recommendations for the Provo Airport that ensures proper implementation and are doable. The airport master plan is intended to be an integral part of the community's overall comprehensive plan and that this be realized in a coordinated manner that enhances Provo City, Utah county and its related communities. Specifically, the objectives of this study are as follows:
Objective #1: The master plan for the Provo Airport and surrounding properties should integral to the existing operations and facilities at the Provo Airport.
Objectives #2: The development of the airport should contribute to the image and commercial activity of the airport
Objective #3: The airport master plan should be developed to also cater to special "niches" with respect to other business facilities and location in the Provo region.
Objective # 4: The development of the airport and associate properties should occur in a coordinated and comprehensive manner, to take maximum advantage of the assets of Provo and the associated cities in Utah County
Objective #5: The planning and development of the airport should be oriented to achieve the"highest and best" use of the site. Specific users and uses should be evaluate on a case-by-case basis. "Highest and best" use should be interpreted in terms of the following factor:
- Use of physical assets
- Economic benefit
- Jobs created and salaries
- Fiscal impact
- Contribution to the overall objective of Provo City
Objective #6: The airport master plan should be flexible to accommodate a range of potential aviation and non aviation users.
Objective #7: Regional economic goals should be an important consideration in preparing a development strategy for the airport
Objective #8: Airport development should be evaluated relative to both long - and short- term costs and benefits.
Objectives #9: The airport master plan should minimize offsite impacts particularly those affecting surrounding neighborhood areas.
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