Palm Springs International Airport
Master Plan
A vision for our airport’s future
PSP Master Plan CEQA Scoping Meeting
Join us for the PSP Master Plan CEQA Scoping Meeting! This virtual meeting will provide details on the California Environmental Quality Act process, the next step in the airport master plan. The meeting will be held Tuesday, April 15, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Zoom Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81490714183
Meeting ID: 814 9071 4183
Our Goal
The primary goal of an Airport Master Plan is to provide guidance for future airport development necessary to accommodate forecasted demand. This project will recommend future improvements that enhance operational safety, align with the airport’s economic development goals, and follow federal, state, and local regulatory guidelines.
Historic Protections
The project team is working closely with the City’s Preservation Office to ensure that changes or renovations to the terminal stay true to the integrity of the original Donald Wexler design.
Review the Executive Summary
Palm Springs International Airport has completed the Airport Master Plan update. Please review the interactive Executive Summary to learn more about the project.
Stay Tuned for Updates
About the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Process
The next step in the Palm Springs Airport Master Plan process is to analyze the potential changes to ensure they comply with California’s rigorous environmental standards. The CEQA process requires public agencies to identify, analyze, and disclose the environmental impacts of proposed projects, while also seeking public input and exploring alternatives to reduce or mitigate those impacts.
The CEQA process is expected to take 18 months to complete, and provides opportunities for the community to comment at key stages.
Plan Components
The Airport Master Plan process is guided by the FAA and ultimately results in projections of future passenger and aviation activity growth and an updated Airport Layout Plan (ALP). The primary components of the Airport Master Plan are:
Inventory of Existing Conditions
An inventory of existing conditions including review and analysis of environmental considerations.
Forecasts of Aviation Activity
A series of aviation activity forecasts to identify growth trends and changing conditions.
Facility Requirements
Determination of facility requirements to meet current and projected levels of aviation demand.
Financial Implementation Analysis
Financial implementation plan or capital improvement plan that identifies funding sources and project sequencing for the short term (1 to 5 years), intermediate term (6 to 10 years), and long term (11 to 20 years).
Airport and Terminal Development Alternatives and Evaluation
Development and analysis of alternative solutions to meet defined facility requirements for the 20-year planning period.
There are several additional components that are unique to the PSP Master Plan study
The 2015 Master Plan underestimated the growth in commercial operations and passenger enplanements and as such, did not include an adequate terminal expansion concept. An early focus of this Airport Master Plan will be on the terminal and terminal area in an effort to develop a concept layout for both the terminal and the landside access and circulation that accommodates projected growth, but also respects the airport’s neighbors and the historic significance of the existing airport terminal.
This is a report that is being completed to develop a realistic estimate of demand potential specific to additional airlines, additional destinations and the potential for additional international flights at PSP.
The City plans to include sustainability planning in the Master Plan in order to develop focus categories that align with the City’s overall sustainability goals and can be utilized as screening criteria in Master Plan decisions and recommendations
Land use guidance pertaining to the Master Plan’s concept will be provided and consideration will be given to the compatibility of the Master Plan recommendations with local general plans and the Riverside County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.
Planning Process
The planning process will follow four main steps
Describe existing airport conditions and identify future facility needs
This information will be used to develop alternatives to the conceptual development plan that will be created to meet the projected needs.
Evaluate alternatives
Alternatives will be developed and evaluated based on a set of criteria including forecasted aviation demand, current capacity and airfield limitations, and availability and preservation needs for on airport land use.
Incorporate public input
The community will be involved in reviewing alternatives and working papers throughout the planning process and feedback will be solicited in multiple ways including open house events and project website updates. Public input will be considered in the development of the final plan.
Prepare CEQA analysis and adopt the final plan
Following completion of the draft Master Plan, a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis of the proposed projects will be completed and the Final Master Plan will be brought before the City Council for adoption sometime in 2025. Once approved, the Airport Master Plan will serve as a policy document that sets forth the conceptual framework for possible future airport development.
