Local
North Bend airport weighs Portland route as passenger forecast points to tripling by 2043
Southwest Oregon Regional Airport is negotiating with Alaska and SkyWest for daily Portland flights as soon as 2027. Its draft master plan projects passenger traffic will triple by 2043 and outlines runway, apron and terminal improvements to handle growth.
Southwest Oregon Regional Airport could resume scheduled flights to Portland in 2027, nearly 10 years after its last commercial service to the city, as airport officials plan for a projected surge in passengers.
The Coos County Airport District is negotiating with Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Airlines over a daily route, Executive Director Rodger Craddock said. The airport, in North Bend, currently has commercial service to San Francisco and Denver through SkyWest. No agreement for Portland flights has been reached.
A federal grant awarded in 2019 to help establish the Portland route, combined with local matching funds, could provide up to $2 million in subsidies during the route’s first two years. The airport came close to an agreement before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the airline industry, Craddock said.
He said the route could help South Coast residents reach medical appointments in Portland and provide another connection point for travelers going elsewhere. The airport last offered scheduled commercial flights to Portland in 2017.
The proposed route is part of a broader planning effort for an airport that recorded its busiest year in 2025. A forecast included in the district’s draft master plan projects passenger traffic will grow about 6% annually from 2023 to 2043, reaching roughly three times its current level. The Federal Aviation Administration generally projects about 2% annual growth, but Craddock said the agency reviewed and approved the airport’s forecast.
The draft plan proposes extending the airport’s runway, which is nearly 6,000 feet long, by about 420 feet. Craddock said the extension could allow larger planes to operate with fewer weight restrictions. The plan also includes more hangars and an expanded aircraft parking apron; the current apron cannot fit two of the larger aircraft now using the airport at the same time. Terminal expansion and another gate could be needed later.
Airport officials say major projects generally must be included in a master plan to qualify for federal funding. The district’s previous plan was completed in 2013. Officials have finished an analysis of current conditions, passenger forecasts and development options, and are now assessing implementation and feasibility. The district expects to complete the new plan in the spring.