New terminal will support 740 long-term jobs in the area, and is expected to double airport capacity in the coming decade
(EDMONDS, WA) – Today, the Pullman-Moscow Airport will celebrate the opening of a new, three-gate passenger terminal, which was funded in part by federal grant programs authored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
“This new terminal is more than just a building, it’s an economic engine for the Palouse,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have created 850 good-paying building trades jobs, and within 15 years, the Airport is projected to generate over $40 million in gross regional product and support more than 740 long-term indirect jobs. A modern terminal with capacity for more flights will make Pullman a more attractive location for new and growing businesses, too.”
Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport broke ground on the terminal building in August 2022. The airport’s current terminal is 8,785 sq. ft., consisting of one ground boarding gate. The new terminal building is nearly five times bigger at 47,500 sq. ft., and has three gates.
Of the $89.1 million total project cost, $75.1 million – 84% – came from federal funding.
The project benefited from the Cantwell-authored expanded national investment in airports under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Pullman-Moscow Airport’s new terminal project won two grants totaling $18.1 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Terminal Program (ATP), a new BIL program.
The total federal funding breakdown for the new terminal is as follows:
- FAA Discretionary: $43.2 million
- BIL Airport Terminal Program: $18.1 million
- CARES Act: $10.4 million
- FAA Entitlement: $2 million
- BIL Airport Improvement Grants: $1.4 million
- TOTAL: $75.1 million
Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport had 75,027 enplanements in 2022, a record high. From 2021 to 2022, enplanements at Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport grew 38%, and from 2009 to 2022 grew 149%. The airport expects enplanements to more than double to 155,000 by 2034.
The new terminal allows for more flights. The airport currently has a maximum of three flights to and from Seattle each day. On average, these flights are 81% full. Thanks to added capacity at the new terminal, the airport could handle five flights per day to Seattle. The passenger experience will improve, too, as two of the gates have boarding bridges for above-ground boarding.
Sen. Cantwell helped secure billions of dollars in funding for air travel infrastructure nationwide as part of the BIL. With her support, the infrastructure package provided a total of $25 billion for airport improvements, including $5 billion for the ATP, $5 billion for FAA air traffic control facilities, and $15 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grants.
