Port of Bremerton releases Phase 1 findings: limited passenger market, air cargo not recommended

PORT OF BREMERTON — The Port of Bremerton received the Phase 1 market feasibility report on Feb. 25 for Bremerton National Airport and heard from consultants that the site shows modest potential for limited commercial passenger service but is unlikely to attract significant air cargo operations in its current configuration.

Kevin Molkaster, a consultant with Mead & Hunt, told commissioners that Phase 1 was designed to assess market potential and gather community input rather than make a final decision. "Phase 1 is not, you know, we're here today not to necessarily make a decision. Phase 1 is really intended to provide context and and really gather information about the possibilities," Molkaster said.

The consultant team said it used multiple data sources and models to estimate demand from the airport's primary catchment area (Bremerton, Silverdale and nearby communities). Levi Anstine, a data specialist with Mead & Hunt, summarized the modeling: ARC and MIDT booking data suggested roughly 3.3% of SeaTac's originating traffic comes from the Bremerton catchment, GPS-derived estimates were higher (about 3.7%), and other travel-factor comparisons produced lower results. Combining models, the team presented a blended estimate of about 2.6% of SeaTac-originating passengers coming from the Bremerton catchment.

That estimate translated into a small set of…