Aviation View - June 2024

a high load factor, even as the aviation world returns to normal. Pullman-Moscow is facing some frequency decreases amid a pilot shortage and a sluggish rebound from COVID, but, overall, things are trending in the right direction. “It’s getting better with time,” says Bean. And believe it or not, the $158-million runway realignment was just the first phase of several key renovations to Pullman-Moscow Airport’s facilities. A GAME-CHANGING NEW TERMINAL A new terminal was always in the cards, and Bean finally implemented that massive upgrade. As the world distanced itself from the pandemic, the federal government poured in funding that, combined with internal resources at PUW, made a massive new terminal possible. Opening in May, the building is a thing of beauty. Spanning 47,000 square feet, this building is loaded with fine amenities. For the first time ever, the airport will have full concessions, plus full baggage systems and two boarding bridges, allowing passengers to remain indoors when they board their flight. There are large glass windows, new seating inside the building, and a brand-new parking lot with anti- icing infrastructure built into it. The terminal was designed in consultation with an advisory committee composed of multiple leaders from universities, as well as surrounding county advisors and state officials from both Idaho and Washington. “All of it is thought about with the capability of the public to come through and just be at ease,” says Bean, emphasizing the dynamic flow of the airport’s new terminal. Bean crunched the numbers in planning for this project, starting with an estimation of how many charters the airport runs during peak hours. Pullman- Moscow is unique in that its peak season is during the traditional school year, as much of its traffic comes via athlete charters from Washington State University and the University of Idaho. Much of the construction and planning was performed with that building, Bean and his team decided the runway had to come first. Now it spans 7,100 feet long and 150 feet wide, with a full instrument landing system and a standard runway visual range. “If you can’t land the airplane, you don’t need the building,” Bean says matter-of-factly. Post COVID-19 pandemic, with the runway now in place, traffic at Pullman-Moscow has skyrocketed. The airport saw significant growth in 2021 and 2022, before hitting its stride last year. “We had record growth in 2023, with over 75,000 people getting on an aircraft out of Pullman-Moscow Regional,” says Bean, noting a total traffic tally of 150,000 passengers. On the commercial side, Bean notes additional growth and “very strong” employment numbers. In the airline industry, there’s a concept called “load factor,” which measures the percentage of available seating capacity filled by passengers. PUWmaintains Highways, Roads, & Levees • Landfill Development Building and Site Development • Alternative Energy Projects Airport and Runway Development “MA DeAtley Construction has been an integral partner to the successful completion of construction projects at Pullman Moscow Regional as the prime contractor of not only the Terminal Apron but also the prime contractor of the realigned Runway. Their participation, partnership and work product are second to none.” Anthony Bean, A.A.E.. Executive Director, Pullman Moscow Regional Airport WITH OVER 45 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE M.A. DeAtley operates a significant fleet of owned, and leased equipment including dozers from D4’s to D10’s, large off-road dump trucks, scrapers, excavators, graders, compactors, rock drills, cranes, lowboys, belly dumps, flatbed trucks, tractors, water trucks and wagons, maintenance, and fuel trucks, light plants, pumps, and generators. 126 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 04, ISSUE 02