September Plane Talk

Implementation of a paid parking program that was scheduled to take effect on October 1 has been delayed; more information will be provided when the airport has a new implementation date. Electric Vehicle charger replacement at the terminal is still moving forward. The new vehicle chargers will require users to pay.

For many years, customer parking at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) has been offered at no cost. As the airport continues to invest in its facilities, implementing a paid parking program at the terminal will help ensure parking resources remain well maintained, accessible, and sustainable while aligning KCIA with parking practices at comparable airports.

King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) maintains a log of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights operating to or from our airport. That log, found at kingcounty.gov/ice-flights, now includes passenger counts on most ICE flights as outlined in an order by the King County Executive in 2023 and reaffirmed in 2026. Passenger tracking began August 1. Data is generally updated weekly. 

KCIA has also implemented a notification system to email subscribers when an ICE flight is due in at the airport. You can sign up via the link at kingcounty.gov/ice-flights. Please note that KCIA does not always receive advance notice of ICE flights, flight plans can and do change with little or no notice, and KCIA cannot guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of information received from third parties. 

These notifications are in addition to the other efforts implemented at KCIA to bring more transparency to ICE operations, including the four livestreaming cameras on the airport website and a dedicated viewing room at the Flight Service Station for the livestream cameras. Go to kingcounty.gov/ice-flights for more information. 

Airport employees, tenants, and community members had an opportunity to walk the main runway at King County International Airport-Boeing Field on August 15. The runway was closed for an hour for the annual FOD Walk: the collection of Foreign Object Debris (FOD). Airport employees regularly patrol for and pick up FOD to minimize the risk of debris causing issues with aircraft, but the event serves to educate participants about FOD and as a fun, community-building opportunity. More pictures from the FOD Walk are available on the airport's Facebook and Instagram pages.

School: Redmond High School
Year: Senior
Major: Plans to major in aerospace engineering

Sharav Dhar began an airport internship on August 10.

“I was interested in an internship at the airport because I wanted to learn more about [computer-aided design] and the aviation industry and to also get some work experience,” said Dhar, who reports to Vanessa Chin. “I think that this internship is a great opportunity for me to work on engineering related skills like CAD and architectural design while gaining firsthand experience in a professional engineering environment.”

Dhar’s career goal is to work in the aerospace industry after college, preferably in propulsion or aerodynamics.

School: University of Washington
Year: Second year master's student
Major: Marine and Environmental Affairs

William Le began an airport internship on August 24.

"With a background in fisheries, this internship is my introduction to the world of aviation," said Le, who reports to Derek Doell.

"My goals are to learn about airport operations and apply previous experiences to my personal interest in aviation," he added. "I am personally looking forward to working in the field and collaborating with others to improve environmental outcomes at the airport. I also hope to take away new insights into how to address environmental issues in aviation spaces and beyond. I am very excited to be here and look forward to working with everyone soon!"

School: University of Washington
Year: Senior
Major: Informatics with a focus in Data Science and minor in Business
Safia Mohamed joined the airport as an undergraduate intern earlier this summer.

“I was interested in interning at KCIA because I wanted to explore how the skills I’ve developed could be applied to improving real processes and operations, especially in the public sector,” Mohamed said. “I also thought working at an airport would be a unique experience since there are many systems and departments that go into keeping everything running.”

Mohamed reports to Vanessa Chin and is helping with a mix of projects including improving and documenting processes and creating reports and visualizations.

“I’m excited to learn more about how the airport works and collaborate with others,” Mohamed said. “After graduating, I’m planning on pursuing a career in data science, and I’m hoping this internship will help me gain hands-on experience and learn more about all the career paths available to me.”

School: University of Washington
Year: Junior
Major: Environmental Public Health

Felicity Nagel started as an undergraduate intern at the airport on August 17, reporting to Matt Sykora.

“When I was in high school, I was a student pilot who was working towards my private pilot’s license,” Nagel said. “Earlier this summer as I was seeking an internship in the Seattle area, I came across the BFI Business and Operations Undergraduate Internship position, which piqued my interest and allowed me to believe I could return to the aviation world.”

Nagel aims to pursue a career in public health, improving industrial hygiene or related to environmental epidemiology.
“I believe that though this next year as I spend time working on both the Business and Operations teams, I will pick up critical tangible and intangible skills for how to work in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment that can aid me in future career settings,” Nagel added.

Girls in Aviation Day, an annual event for middle- and high-school age girls across the country, takes place on September 19 this year. The Museum of Flight and the Women in Aviation Washington State Chapter are hosting an event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Museum of Flight, with the "Fly Fair" at 3 p.m. 

Get more information 

Silvana Barrera, Airport Operations Specialist, graduated with a Master of Business Administration in Aviation from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University at the Museum of Flight on August 29. Congratulations! 

She has been juggling MBA coursework with flight lessons through Rainier Flight Service and her full-time job at KCIA.

"I got my MBA with the desire of becoming a better aviation leader and mentor in the future," said Barrera, whose career goal is to become an airport manager. 

NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement recognized Ginny Justiniano, Lead Contract Specialist and Accounts Payable Supervisor, with the 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award at the NIGP Annual Forum and Product Expo on August 25 in Columbus, Ohio. 

Justiniano was selected due to her long-term volunteer work with both the local and national NIGP organizations.

“These awards recognize far more than individual accomplishments,” said Debbie Trueblood, NIGP CEO. “They represent the leadership, collaboration and commitment that make our profession stronger. Each recipient has contributed in a meaningful way to advancing public procurement, supporting their peers and creating greater public value.”

Justiniano currently serves as president of the state chapter (WANIGP) and WANIGP Emerging Professional Co-Chair. She is on several task forces and is the 2027 Area 8 Planning Committee Communications Co-Chair. She is also co-founder of the Procurement Women Leaders Group, which has more than 1,300 members. Congratulations! 

The airport's community engagement team attended the Duwamish Festival/Festival del Rio Duwamish and the Othello Park International Festival last month. The Duwamish Festival brought together South Park and Georgetown community members to celebrate the arts and culture of the Duwamish tribe. The event featured an opening ceremony and information about their restoration efforts for the Duwamish River. The festival also included family-friendly entertainment at various booths, food vendors, and on-stage performances of various genres/styles of music and dancing throughout the event.

The Othello Park International Festival at Othello Park was hosted by Othello Park Alliance and Home Sight. The event featured food trucks, dance performances and an interactive scavenger hunt. KCIA staff talked with about 750 visitors at the two events.

The airport's Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting unit joined in Touch-A-Truck events at Westfield Southcenter and Celebrate Shoreline last month. The Tukwila event attracted more than 1,300 people and estimated 8,000 attended the Shoreline event. Both events were opportunities for kids and families to interact with trucks and equipment from public agencies and other organizations, as well as the people who operate the equipment.

Photo: Children at the Tukwila event last month enjoy "driving" and exploring an ARFF fire engine.  

David Decoteau, deputy director of King County International Airport-Boeing Field, moderated an Airport Roundtable discussion at the American Association of Airport Executives’ General Aviation Conference, held August 16-18 in Chicago. Decoteau is vice chair of the organization’s Airport Roundtable committee.

“KCIA values and supports general aviation, while continuing to work collaboratively with our neighbors to address concerns and be a responsible community partner,” Decoteau said.

The discussion at the conference provided an opportunity for airport managers to share how current general aviation issues are impacting their individual airports.