March Plane Talk

King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) is again receiving recognition for its environmental efforts. KCIA is the first airport in the United States, as well as the entire Western Hemisphere, to earn the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Certification, a significant milestone.

“At King County, we’re committed to reducing our environmental impact, especially for the people who live and work near the airport,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “Earning this recognition reflects the dedication of King County employees who are doing the day-to-day work to protect nearby communities and build a cleaner future for the next generation. We’ve made real progress, and we’re going to stay focused on doing the work to reduce our carbon footprint.”

IEnvA is a new international certification program that helps airports and other air transport industry stakeholders towards greater environmental sustainability. Based on globally recognized standards and industry best practices, including the ISO environmental management system standard and the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), IEnvA is a voluntary, subscription-based, turnkey solution for environmental management.

“Attaining this Certification highlights your organization's commitment to continuously improving its environmental performance,” IATA said in a statement notifying the airport of the achievement. “By meeting the rigorous standards set forth by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), you have demonstrated a clear resolve to minimize environmental impact and foster a greener future for our planet.”

“We’re working hard to prepare for and respond to climate change, as well as support King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan,” said John Parrott, director of the airport. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts.”

The airport is on track to meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, related to direct emissions controlled by the airport and indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heating and cooling in buildings.

Read the complete news release. 

SeaPort Airlines is launching new service from King County International Airport-Boeing Field to Felts Field in Spokane. Flights can be booked now, with service beginning on March 9.

"The Sea-Tac mega airport has outgrown short-hop travel in the Pacific Northwest. The solution is 100 years old, and it's under our noses. It's Boeing Field," said SeaPort Airlines CEO Kent Craford. "As Alaska Airlines becomes a competitive global airline, SeaPort Airlines is ready to become the Pacific Northwest's regional airline. Boeing Field-based flights bring fun and ease back to air travel with a simple and vastly superior way of getting you to Portland or Spokane that saves hours per trip."

SeaPort Airlines' new Spokane route builds on the carrier's existing schedule of up to 16 shuttle flights per day between Boeing Field in Seattle and Portland International Airport in Oregon. SeaPort will offer two morning and two evening roundtrip flights per day between Boeing Field and Spokane's Felts Field.

Craford noted Boeing Field (BFI) and Felts Field (SFF) are both built for convenience and are even charming with their 1930s era Art Deco terminals, yet offer on-site car rental, rideshare, and other services. It's also a privilege to operate out of Boeing Field, the place where modern commercial airliners were born, he added.

Ticket prices for the new flights between Seattle and Spokane will start at $299 one way, with special promotional discounts available through April. Reservations can be made at FlySeaPortAir.com/#booknow.

For Ali Lee, stepping into the role of Airport Roundtable Chair feels both personal and purposeful. She brings a professional background in transportation, public health and public policy as well as a commitment to community.

“I’ve always seen aviation as more than airplanes,” Lee said. “It’s about people, mobility, jobs, and how we ensure airports and surrounding communities can co-exist in ways that are transparent, collaborative, and forward-looking.”

Lee has helped advance statewide clean energy efforts, including the Clean Energy Transformation Act, centering health, equity, and community voices in transportation decisions. She also serves on the Statewide Commercial Aviation Working Group (CAWG) and is the Outreach Director for the Washington State Chapter of Women in Aviation International as well as Girls In Aviation Day - roles that reflect her ongoing commitment to aviation leadership and community engagement across Washington State.

Lee previously served as vice chair of the Roundtable. This year, she and Erik Utter swapped roles, with Utter now serving as vice chair. The leadership shift allows the Roundtable to continue to build on goals set last year.

The Roundtable is an advisory committee that makes recommendations to the airport's administrators, the King County Executive, and the King County Council. Its membership includes representatives of aviation-related businesses and communities interested in airport issues.

The Roundtable meets on the second Monday of each month, usually from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held in person at the airport terminal in Conference Room 110 as well as virtually on Zoom. Get more information about the Roundtable or register to attend this year’s Zoom meetings.

Airport maintenance employees helped relocate a critical piece of training equipment for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) recently, helping ARFF maintain their ability to conduct required training on schedule.

The High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) is a boom-mounted system on a fire engine that can pierce metal (such as an aircraft fuselage) and spray water inside the aircraft. It is typically used on cargo aircraft but can be used on passenger aircraft as well.

The training equipment allows ARFF employees to practice “piercing” with the fire engine’s HRET.

“We can practice lining up the piercing tip and we can push through the metal, basically training how to pierce an airplane,” explained ARFF Sgt. Clint Herman.

To relocate the equipment, maintenance crews poured a new concrete pad and attached the pierce trainer to it.

“They did a lot of work on it,” Herman said.

Dave Decoteau, deputy director of King County International Airport-Boeing Field, successfully completed the Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Program through the National Business Aviation Association.

“I am grateful to have earned my CAM credential,” Decoteau said. “The knowledge and standards behind the certification align closely with KCIA’s fleet mix and I look forward to applying what I have learned to better support the wide range of operators we serve.” 

“CAMs are professionals who have demonstrated an exemplary level of industry knowledge and expertise,” the NBAA’s website said about the program. The program is specifically for professionals who lead departments and organizations that use business aircraft.