March 2025 Plane Talk

King County International Airport is conducting the Vision 2045 Airport Plan and the Part 150 Study, both aimed at shaping the future of the airport. These studies began in January 2024 and will be complete by mid-2026.

The project team is focused on reviewing KCIA Facility Requirements section of the plan. The study team will also submit draft Part 150 Study Noise Exposure Maps (NEMs) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this month.

Learn more about NEMs and the Part 150 Study process at an in-person open house. Airport tenants and community members are invited to review the NEMs and share input at the event.

March 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Flight Service Station: 6526 Ellis Avenue S., Seattle

Planning to join us? RSVP or register in advance at KCIAplanning.com.
Read more about these updates and more in the January Quarterly Newsletter and on the project website.

Troy Chen comes to the airport from the Seattle Office of Police Accountability, where he led community engagement efforts to build trust and transparency between the Seattle Police Department and the public.

Chen brings experience in community outreach, stakeholder engagement, government relations, and policy advocacy. He has worked with various government agencies across Washington State.

 “I’m excited to bring my outreach expertise to the airport,” Chen said. “As someone who loves traveling, I have always wanted to work for an airport and this is the perfect job that combines my personal interest and professional experience.”

A proud Husky, Chen earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Spanish at the University of Washington. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Spanish and is conversational in French, allowing him to connect with diverse communities.

Outside of work, Troy enjoys exploring the world through food, travel, and conversation. He lives in North Seattle with his wife and their senior pug.

Andrea Swinford joins King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago (ORD). Prior to O’Hare, she worked in airport operations at Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) for about five years. She began her aviation career in 2007 as an aircraft fueler.

“Professionally, I’ve wanted to be at BFI for about six years and even mentioned it in some of my college classes as a place I’d like to work at,” Swinford said, referring to the airport with the call letters for Boeing Field International. “BFI has always interested me since it is a small airport that does so many things and supports so many industries.”

Swinford joined the U.S. Army right out of high school, served eight years, and completed a tour of duty in the Middle East from 2004-2006. She has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University where she majored in Aviation Management and minored in Airport Management and Planning. She is currently attending Southern Illinois University in pursuit of a master’s degree in Aviation Management. She holds the Airport Security Coordinator (ASC) certification from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).

In her free time, Swinford enjoys hiking and camping, constructing LEGOs, spending time with her partner and their three cats, and reading graphic novels.

Having spent most of her formative years in Illinois, she’s excited to be in Seattle.

“I’ve wanted to be in the Pacific Northwest since I was kid because I love the mountains and the forests that are abundant here,” she said. “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work for King County International Airport!”

Congratulations to Joshua Markovich, who was recently promoted to Airport Duty Manager after serving as an Airport Operations Specialist for a year here at King County International Airport. 

“I have always been passionate about aviation,” Markovich said. “This passion has been the driving factor for a career goal as a future airport executive.”

Markovich’s aviation interests include airport construction projects and emerging technologies for airfield safety and efficiency. Prior to working at KCIA, he was a crop-dusting pilot in North Dakota.

Outside the airport his interests include freediving, boating and Facebook marketplace.

King County International Airport-Boeing Field is committed to achieving carbon neutral status by 2030 in accordance with the county's Strategic Climate Action Plan.

The Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (ACAP) is an internationally recognized carbon management program with more than 550 participating airports. With seven levels of accreditation, ACAP provides participating airports a systematic path towards achieving their carbon reduction goals.

KCIA has already achieved ACAP Level 2, and in 2025 we will be working to progress to Level 3 certification. Level 3 requires KCIA to create a fuller picture of its carbon footprint by including emissions from other sources, such as flights, aircraft ground movements, vendor vehicles, and more. We have engaged with airport users and tenants to collect information about their greenhouse gas emissions.

Get more information about the airport's accreditation.