Palm Beach County air travelers might soon find relief from increasing delays and the threat of fewer flights as officials at Palm Beach International Airport push forward with a multi-year plan to expand runway capacity. According to WPTV, airport officials warn that without an extension of runway 10R/28L up to 8,000 feet—effectively doubling its current length from 3,214 feet—result in "unacceptable delays".
Laura Beebe, Palm Beach County director of airports, pitched the proposal sans the use of the politically charged "parallel" term, recognizably though, this means constructing parallel runways. While there's support to avoid surpassing the airport's airfield capacity, the move is likely to not sit well with homeowners around the airstrip and famous figures like former President Donald Trump. Bruce Pelly, former Airports Director, had warned the need for such runways, asserting, "Regardless of the current economic situation, we are certain that a serviceable parallel commercial service runway will be needed at some point in the future at PBIA," as reported by Stet News.
The Federal Aviation Administration had previously put a pause on the expansion talks back in 2012, citing a significant falloff in demand due to the Great Recession. However, Palm Beach International Airport's current trajectory of annual air service volume suggests it will hit maximum capacity between 2028 and 2032, necessitating the renewal of the expansion discussion. Nicole Hughes, a spokeswoman for the airport, told WPTV that the process "is likely to take more than a decade to complete" assuming necessary approvals with an environmental review slated to take two to four years.
Some residents, like Claudia Salazar who resides east of the airport, have already been disturbed by the noise of airplanes taking off and landing. She described how the increased frequency of flights have made outdoor activities less enjoyable, "Trying to do something with the kids outside," Salazar said, "it's really annoying." As per a WPTV report, the changes proposed by Beebe include not only the runway extension but also a shortening of the crosswind runway (14-32).
While the path ahead to achieve these improvements will undoubtedly to prove long and arduous, the county has taken its first steps. Commissioners greenlit the planning phases on April 16, and the proposal is set to be discussed before the Citizens Committee on Airport Noise on May 23 at the airport. This meeting, as highlighted by Stet News, will be open to the public and is the beginning of what officials hope will be an expedient process, owing to previous FAA studies which found "no significant impacts with the 8,000-foot runway."
