The Airport Master Plan – what is it, why is it being done?
For many airport representatives, interested stakeholders and the public at large, negotiating
the world of FAA requirements in relation to airport planning and design can be daunting. For
those not familiar with what an Airport Master Plan is or why it is done, DOWL has prepared the
following brief summary:
What is an Airport Master Plan?
Quite simply, an Airport Master Plan is a comprehensive examination of an airport facility,
operation, infrastructure, forecast demands, and its current and future role within the aviation
system. The plan ultimately provides a specific plan with detailed costs to move forward with
future developments that will takes into consideration possible FAA requirements, industry
demands and local, state, and public needs. The development of an Airport Master Plan
sometimes follows strict FAA guidelines and/or State or Local requirements.
Why is it being conducted?
An airport that receives FAA or State money is sometime required, or strongly urged, by those
agencies to complete a Master Plan updates about every ten years or so. This may be a
requirement to remain eligible for federal or state funding, or to address specific issues that
must be vetted prior to FAA or state involvement with some projects. The reason for this is
because a Master Plan helps to ensure that local, state and federal dollars are being spent as
efficiently and competently as possible. The document is heavily used by the FAA, state and
local officials as one of the primary tools for project and budget planning and also provides a
detailed resource of both technical and non-technical information about an airport. An up to
date airport Master Plan Narrative Report, along with a current Airport Layout Plan drawing, is
usually necessary for an airport or agency to program money for development.
How much does it cost and who pays for it?
The cost of an airport master plan varies widely depending upon the airport, its size, its role
within the system and the complexity of the plan itself. While some airports are relatively
small, with slow growth, others are extremely complex, with rapidly evolving changes. In very
general terms, the cost for an airport master plan usually ranges from tens of thousands of
dollars for a very small, GA facilities, to well over a million for much larger airports. All or part
of the cost of an Airport Master Plan is usually reimbursable by the FAA or state agencies or
may be entirely conducted and paid for by those agencies.
What will the final product look like?
The Master Plan provides stakeholders and interested parties with an extremely useful tool and
comprehensive summary of all information developed in one single bound printed or electronic
document. This summary will usually include a detailed Narrative Report as well as several
technical drawings known as the Airport Layout Plan sheet set. A summary of the elements
included as part of the Master Plan is described on the next page.
Typical Elements of the Airport Master Plan
1) Pre-planning / Scope – This process involves close coordination with funding agencies,
the airport and consultant to develop the specific scope for the plan, securing of
funding, and process to ensure local, state and federal requirements will be met.
2) Public Involvement Program – This is a critical aspect of the process that will help
validate the plan with intensive sponsor, government, stakeholder and public input.
This includes the creation of an Advisory Committee to help define key issues and
review alternatives, collect the necessary documentation for the plan, and develop a
process and plan for public events to share and gather public input.
3) Environmental Considerations – As the plan progresses, environmental considerations
will be addressed and considered throughout the process, as required or necessary for
the level of plan involvement, to ensure all relevant and reasonable issues are
addressed in the future, as necessary, as part of future development.
4) Existing Conditions – An inventory and summary of all relevant airport facility
infrastructure and operations used to baseline future development and forecasting.
This may include relevant history of the facility and developments.
5) Aviation Forecasts – Forecasts of aeronautical demand upon the facility will be
addressed for 5, 10 and 20 year periods. If the FAA is involved with a master planning
study, they will approve the forecast in writing.
6) Facility Requirements – An assessment of the present and future infrastructure
requirements of the airport. This chapter usually relies heavily upon FAA airport
standards for airports and operations, taking forecast demand levels developed as part
of the study into account. Demand triggers for specific development may also be
addressed.
7) Alternatives Development and Evaluation – Different alternative plans for future
developments, based on various factors depending upon the level of study, will be
developed. Stakeholders and AC members will assess the merits of the alternatives and
a recommended development alternative will emerge from this process. This will also
aid in developing the purpose and planning for subsequent environmental documents.
8) Airport Layout Plan – One of the key products of a Master Plan is a set of drawings that
provide a range of information, including detailed graphic representations of existing
and future airport features and developments. This set of drawings includes a specific
“Airport Layout Plan” sheet that encompasses the whole facility.
9) Facilities Implementation Plan – The chapter will provide a tentative schedule with cost
estimates for planning specific airport development and planning projects. This chapter
is used as a funding planning tool for all appropriate agencies. The schedule of
improvements may be tied to identified levels of demand that trigger the need for
expansion of existing facilities.
10) Other Elements – If warranted, other specific chapters may be included depending upon
their need. Financial feasibility studies are common accompaniments to Master Plan
studies. FAA funding eligibility to reimburse these or other chapters varies, and the
costs for those items will need to be addressed prior to the start of the plan.
