The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority has undertaken to complete an Airport Master Plan Update for the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.  The last master plan for the Airport was completed in 1999. 

An airport master plan is a documentation of strategies for achieving the short-, medium-, and long-term development goals of an airport. The goal of an airport master plan is to provide the framework needed to guide future airport development that will cost effectively satisfy aviation demand, while considering environmental and socioeconomic impacts.  The airport master plan provides graphic representation of the future development of the airport to efficiently meet aviation demand through the foreseeable future while preserving the flexibility necessary to respond to changing industry conditions. The objectives of an airport master plan include:

• The documentation of the issues that the proposed development will address.
• The provision of justification for the proposed development through technical, economic, and environmental investigation of concepts and alternatives.
• The provision of an effective graphic presentation of the development of the airport and anticipated land uses in the vicinity of the airport.
• The establishment of a realistic schedule for the implementation of the development proposed in the plan, particularly the short-term capital improvement program.
• The proposal of an achievable financial plan to support the implementation schedule.
• The provision of sufficient project definition and detail for subsequent environmental evaluations that may be required before the project is approved.
• The presentation of a plan that adequately addresses the issues and satisfies local, state and Federal regulations.
• The documentation of policies and future aeronautical demand to support municipal or local deliberations on spending, debt, land use controls, and other policies necessary to preserve the integrity of the airport and its surroundings.
• The setting of the stage and establishment of the framework for a continuing planning process that monitors key conditions and permits changes in plan recommendations as required.

The Airport Master Plan process is guided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has produced an Advisory Circular, AC 150/5070-6B Airport Master Plans, on methods to prepare an airport master plan.  The components of a master plan vary in complexity and degree of application, depending on the size, function and challenges of the individual airport. In the case of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Master Plan Update, the major elements of the study are as follows:

• Public Involvement Program: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority has elected to pursue a Public Involvement process that will keep all public, stakeholder, and agency entities apprised of the study's progress and provide an opportunity for input and a vehicle for questions and comments.
• Existing Conditions: An inventory of pertinent existing conditions and data at and surrounding the Airport has been developed for use in subsequent plan elements.
• Aviation Forecasts: Forecasts of aeronautical demand for short-, medium-, and long-term time frames have been developed.  The FAA reviews and approves the aviation forecasts contained in the airport master plan to determine if they are acceptable for planning and environmental purposes.
• Facility Requirements: Once the FAA agrees on a reasonable set of aviation forecasts, the facility requirements based on those forecasts will assess the ability of the existing Airport, both airside and landside, to support the forecast demand. 
• Alternatives Development and Evaluation: Where there are deficiencies between the existing conditions and the projected facility requirements, alternatives will be developed to meet the projected facility requirements.  The alternatives are evaluated against multiple criteria including operational, environmental, and financial impacts.  A recommended development alternative emerges from the process.
• Airport Layout Plans (ALP):  An ALP is a graphic presentation (to scale) of existing and proposed airport facilities (e.g., runways, taxiways, aircraft parking areas, terminal buildings, general aviation and corporate facilities, air cargo facilities, navigation aids, etc.), their location on the Airport, and the pertinent safety clearance and dimensional information required.  The ALP drawings are developed in strict conformance with FAA requirements and must be approved by the FAA.
• Facilities Implementation Plan: This plan provides a summary description of the recommended improvements, known as the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), associated order of magnitude costs, an overall implementation schedule based on identified “triggers” and phasing of identified short-term projects.
• Financial Feasibility Analysis: This plan identifies the financial plan for the Airport, describes how the projects recommended in the CIP will be financed, and demonstrates the financial feasibility of the CIP.

The technical work on the Master Plan is in progress. The draft chapters completed to date are posted below.  As the study progresses, additional chapters and information will be posted on this website, including the dates and places for future Public Information Workshops.