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Buckeye council adopts updated airport master plan, omits proposed crosswind runway
Summary
The Buckeye City Council voted April 21 to adopt an FAA‑guided 20‑year airport master plan that removes a previously proposed crosswind runway from the master‑plan submission, keeps an extension and widening of the existing runway to 7,300 feet, and directs staff to submit the plan to the Federal Aviation Administration for review.
Buckeye — The city council on April 21 adopted an updated airport master plan that trims a previously discussed crosswind runway from the plan being submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration and focuses on widening and extending the existing primary runway.
Aviation Director Scott Gray told the council the master plan is a 20‑year capital development document the FAA uses to determine project eligibility for federal funding. “It is a 20‑year capital development plan for the airport. It is an FAA guided document. It is a requirement for most public airports to complete every 10 years,” Gray said in presenting the plan and staff recommendations.
The plan keeps the existing runway alignment and sequences an extension and widening that would bring the runway to about 7,300 feet. Staff withdrew the crosswind runway from the plan because of limited FAA support and concerns expressed by nearby property owners and developers about how a crosswind alignment could affect future development and local roads. Gray said roughly $136 million of work is shown across the planning horizon, with about $54 million identified as potentially eligible for federal grants; smaller portions would be state or city funded.
During council questions, Gray said the FAA had “questioned the need for the crosswind runway” under current activity forecasts and suggested runway widening as an alternative. Council members and the mayor pressed for a parallel long‑range study so the city can preserve options for larger aircraft, cargo or passenger services and be clear with developers about build‑out implications. The mayor described the process as frustrating and urged staff to move quickly on a longer‑range vision to protect future economic opportunities and work with Luke Air Force Base and regional partners on airspace issues.
Council voted to adopt the master plan recommendations and directed staff to finalize the report and submit it to the FAA for review and approval. Gray said staff anticipates returning to council with additional outreach results and related long‑range work later in the year, targeting a July 7 council workshop or meeting for further actions.
What’s next: Staff will finalize the master plan document based on council direction, submit it to the FAA for review, and continue stakeholder outreach and related long‑range planning.
