Aviation View - June 2024

terminal even more, adding more apron space and establishing a strong long-term base for commercial aviation. Both Pullman, Washington, and Moscow, Idaho, are growing in population, too. “We’re seeing a lot of telework-type folks after the pandemic,” says Bean. “And we’re hosting a lot of people now where they want to live in Pullman or Moscow, where it’s smaller towns but they’re still working in Seattle or Portland.” Recently, PUW has been looped into the master planning process of the airport’s immediate surrounding area. Several entities, including multiple manufacturing companies, have expressed interest in developing the nearby corridor and getting access to the airport. “As the airport grows, it’s getting a lot of notice,” says Bean. SOARING INTO 2025 Now that Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport is equipped with a top-of-the-line runway, Bean can initiate dialogues that he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. The new facilities make a darn good sales pitch for any corporate entity hoping to bring its business to the Palouse region. “With the previous runway, we just couldn’t have that conversation because we didn’t meet the standards for a lot of aircraft,” he says. So the first [priority] is what we can do to try to get the communities in a position where they can recruit additional air service.” Beyond that, Bean is prioritizing a comprehensive look inward, scoping out where new opportunities lie for commercial and general aviation. That includes how PUW fits into the greater local economic picture. “It’s going to be comprehensive, moving the airport into the future,” says Bean,“as we move forward with both community growth and being able to support our communities, our universities, the counties, the cities, and those business entities that are located in Pullman and Moscow.” 128 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 04, ISSUE 02