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WHAT IS AN AIRPORT MASTER PLAN?

PURPOSE

An airport master plan provides a road map for efficiently meeting aviation demand through the foreseeable future while preserving the flexibility necessary to respond to changing industry conditions. The general goals and objectives addressed by an airport master plan include the following:

• To provide a framework for long-range planning (2025)
• To graphically present preferred airport development concepts
• To define the purpose and need for development projects
• To comply with all applicable FAA requirements
• To enable the airport to achieve its mission
• To assure compatible land use development
• To support the financial health of the region's most powerful economic engine
• To identify facility requirements for all airport users - airlines, cargo, general aviation, and travelers

The definition of a successful master plan include the following characteristics:

• Financially feasible - the phasing of the plan's capital projects should be aligned with the ability to secure available funding
• Environmentally compatible - the plan should minimize potential environmental impacts
• Balanced - the plan should maintain a balance between airport development needs and community impacts
• Technically sound - the plan should comply with Federal, State, and local requirements and it should be able to be constructed efficiently and cost effectively
• Responsive - the plan should address the physical and operational needs of all stakeholders
• Visionary - the plan should consider changes in industry dynamics which will enable CVG to remain one of the world's most user-friendly airports

The Master Plan process provides a blueprint for the future. The future plan is just that, a plan, and will only be implemented as warranted by actual activity. The recommendations contained in a Master Plan are contingent upon further environmental study and must be financially feasible.

COMPONENTS

The Airport Master Plan process is guided by the FAA and ultimately results in projections of future growth and preparation of an Airport Layout Plan (ALP). An ALP is a graphic representation of the proposed future airport development and is required at all federally obligated airports.

The components of a master plan vary in complexity and degree of application, depending on the size, function and challenges of the individual airport. In the case of the CVG Master Plan, the major elements of the study are as follows:

• Define Strategic Objectives
• Inventory of Existing Conditions
• Forecast of Aviation Demand
• Demand/Capacity Analysis
• Facility Requirements
• Development of Alternatives
• Implementation Plan
• Financial Feasibility
• ALP Drawing Package
• Environmental Overview

The KCAB has also elected to pursue a coordination process that will keep all public, stakeholder, and agency entities apprised of the study's progress and provide an opportunity for input and a vehicle for questions/comments. Two types of meetings have been established for the Master Plan: the Public Advisory Committee (PAC) and Public Workshops. The PAC is composed of representatives of Federal, state, regional and local agencies; citizen representatives from local interest groups and neighborhoods; the local business community; airport planning staff; and technical representatives. The PAC advises the FAA, KCAB, and the Landrum & Brown Team on the conduct and recommendations of the Master Plan Update through meetings and review of interim and draft reports. The public coordination process will also include 5 pairs of public workshops to be conducted in Ohio and Kentucky throughout the Master Plan.

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