The Airport Master Planning process involves collecting data, forecasting demand, determining facility requirements, determining the best way to develop facilities to meet the demand and creating a schedule for that development. The above figure identifies the major elements in the Master Planning Process.

Guidelines for completing a Master Plan are set forth in the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5070-6B. Typically, a master plan report is organized as follows:

Master Plan Vision, Goals and Objectives: Establishes the vision and overarching goals for the Master Plan as well as objectives that will guide the planning process and help ensure that the goals are achieved and the vision is realized.

Inventory of Existing Conditions: Provides an overview of the airport’s history, role in the region and nation, growth and development over time, description of its physical assets (including airfield and airspace, terminal, ground access, and support facilities) and key industry trends.

Forecast of Aviation Demand: Projects future levels of passengers, aircraft operations and cargo tonnage.

Demand/Capacity Analysis and Facility Requirements: Compares the projected future demand with the existing capacity of each airport component and identifies the facility requirements necessary to accommodate any surplus demand.

Alternatives Development: Identifies, refines and evaluates a range of alternatives for accommodating the facility requirements.

Preferred Development Plan: Identifies, describes and defines the alternative that best achieves the Master Plan goals and objectives.

Implementation Plan: Provides a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the Preferred Development Plan, including project definition, construction sequence and timeline, cost estimates, and plan of finance.

Environmental Overview: Provides an overview of the anticipated environmental impacts associated with the Preferred Development Plan in order to understand their severity and to help expedite subsequent environmental processing.

Airport Plans Package: Documents existing as well as planned modifications to airport facilities through a series of electronic drawings, most notably the Airport Layout Plan (ALP), in accordance with FAA standards for content and organization.

Stakeholder and Public Involvement: Documents the coordination efforts that occur among the various stakeholders throughout the study.