Pilots' hopes deflated in airport meeting

Without county officials' support, the likelihood of stopping the Coeur d'Alene Airport/Pappy Boyington Field decoupling project is slim, officials say.

Still, opposing pilots aren't giving up. 

In a meeting Thursday that included the National Business Aviation Association, Federal Aviation Administration, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Airport Manager Steven Kjergaard and Commissioner Bill Brooks, Keith Lang — the Hagadone Corporation aviation director — attempted to sway the officials in the pilots' favor. 

For months, the Coeur d'Alene Airport's hangar owners and pilots have fought the FAA project to decouple the airport's two runways — 6-24 and 2-20. Intended to improve safety and meet FAA regulations, separating the runways has been in the works since 2017.

Costing upward of $3 million, the project will remove 1,000 feet of pavement from runway 6-24 and disconnect the two takeoff points. 

After Thursday's meeting, the NBAA director of airports and ground infrastructure Alex Gertsen, NBAA Northwest Mountain regional representative Kristi Ivey, AOPA Northwest Mountain regional manager Josh Pruzek and Lang discussed how to move forward. 

During Lang's presentation, he proposed options to remove pavement like keeping the runways as they are but adding extra signage or extending 6-24, two plans favored by hangar owners and pilots.

However, the FAA has maintained that the agency will not fund an extension effort, and if the project is not completed, the Coeur d'Alene Airport could be at risk of losing funding. 

"I see that the extension makes so much sense," Lang said. "A lot of the problems go away, and it opens up a lot of doors. I felt like my presentation toward the end kind of fell on deaf ears."

While Gertsen commended Lang for his presentation and perspective, there are still barriers to altering the projected decoupling. 

"I think we've got to the agreement that the extension of the runway would be helpful, that it is in the master plan, and it should happen at some point," Gertsen said. "We do have a challenge with limited funding, and that the framework that the FAA works in couldn't make it happen now."

Gertsen said there could be a chance to keep more pavement than would have been initially left, but specific measurements have not been considered and would need to be supported by the FAA.

One of the glaring points of opposition to changing the proposed plans, Pruzek noted, was the county's lack of sponsorship or financial assistance from taxpayers or independent funding sources.

Pruzek said he's seen airports fight FAA standards or asked for deviations like the Coeur d'Alene pilots hope to do, but those airports had received significant sponsor support. Considering the Cd'A airport is county-owned, he said, their voice is vital in the decoupling debate. 

"Right now, not only do I not see Kootenai County willing to do that, but I know Bill Brooks has gone on the record saying they won't," Pruzek said. "The sponsor is the one who has got to fight for these things, and until they're willing to do that, I see that as a tough spot in this whole argument." 

He noted that some private companies have partnered with airports to contribute to a project, but that would have to come independently.

Getting the Board of County Commissioners committed to sponsoring the alternatives could be difficult, Lang said. However, he believes one — Commissioner Leslie Duncan — would be more interested in hearing their case. 

"Even getting our airport manager on board to advocate more so far has been an issue," Lang said. "It's turned into a little bit of a political issue too, which is unfortunate, but they do not want to spend any more money on anything at this point."

The decoupling project is still down the road, with airport administration tentatively anticipating breaking ground in 2025 or 2026. In the meantime, the airport representatives have agreed to meet with the county commissioners per Lang's request and discuss other avenues and future implications for the airport.