Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport (IATA: PUW, ICAO: KPUW, FAA LID: PUW) is a public airport in the northwest United States, located in Whitman County, Washington, two miles (3 km) east of Pullman, Washington and four miles (6 km) west of Moscow, Idaho. The airport is accessed via spurs from State Route 270, and has a single 7,101-foot (2,164 m) runway, headed northeast–southwest (5/23), which entered service in October 2019.[2][3][4][5] The former runway (6/24) was 6,730 feet (2,051 m) and aligned with Moscow Mountain (4,983 feet (1,519 m)) twelve miles (20 km) to the northeast, the highest summit in the area.

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport
Main terminal in July 2006
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerPullman–Moscow Regional Airport Board
ServesPullman-Moscow Combined Statistical Area
LocationWhitman County, Washington
Time zonePacific Standard (UTC−8)
 • Summer (DST)Pacific Daylight (UTC−7)
Elevation AMSL2,567 ft / 782 m
Coordinates46.744°N 117.108°W / 46.744; -117.108
Websiteflypuw.com
Map
PUW is located in Washington (state)
PUW
PUW
Location in Washington
PUW is located in the United States
PUW
PUW
Location in the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 7,101 2,164 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2014)29,350
Based aircraft (2018)71
Total passengers (12 months ending Oct 2017)119,000

The rural airport in the Palouse region is the primary air link for its two land-grant universities, Washington State University in Pullman and the University of Idaho in Moscow.[6] In addition to scheduled service from Alaska Airlines (through its Horizon Air subsidiary), both universities use the airport for jet charters for their intercollegiate athletic teams.

Seattle air traffic control, 250 miles (400 km) west, manages commercial traffic for the airport. The nearest major airport is Spokane International, approximately ninety miles (145 km) to the north, and Lewiston is about 25 miles (40 km) south.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized the airport as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[7]

History
View from southwest in 2000 of taxiway and runway 6, aligned with Moscow Mountain in Idaho

Aviation at the site began in the 1920s as a grass strip, which was later improved by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA); the runway was first paved in 1946.[6]

Horizon Air (marketed and sold as Alaska Airlines) is the sole commercial airline serving the airport, flying Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. Limited service to Pullman–Moscow began 42 years ago in December 1981 with Fairchild F-27 aircraft (Friday & Sunday),[8] and daily service (along with Lewiston) in March 1983, on F-27 and Metroliner aircraft.[9][10][11] Service to Portland, Spokane, and Boise was ended in 1997.[12][13][14]

Horizon now offers 4-5 daily scheduled flights to Seattle–Tacoma. Historically, flight schedules had sometimes included a stop at Lewiston, but currently all scheduled flights to Seattle are non-stop. Flights to Boise returned August 2021, five times a week. Alaska moved to all-jet service to Pullman–Moscow in November 2022, replacing Q400 turboprops with Embraer 175 jets.[15]

Prior to Horizon, Cascade Airways (1969–1986) was the main carrier at the airport,[16] starting Palouse service in late 1971,[17] and had over 16,500 boardings at Pullman–Moscow in 1977.[18] United Express operated at the airport for over two years, from May 1988 to September 1990.[19]

Facilities and aircraft
PUW post-security waiting area

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport covers an area of 467 acres (1.89 km2) at an elevation of 2,567 feet (782 m) above sea level. It has one asphalt paved runway designated 5/23, which opened in October 2019 and measures 7,101 by 100 feet (2,164 m × 30 m).[1]

The airport was annexed by the City of Pullman in August 1988,[20] and ground was broken in April 1989 to replace the small, outdated passenger terminal of 1957.[21][22][23] Constructed in under ten months, the present 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) terminal opened in February 1990 at a cost of $2.7 million,[24] with a formal dedication and airshow in May.[6][25]

The modest commercial terminal is a single large room, divided between pre- and post-security areas by a single security checkpoint and glass walls. The waiting area occupies all space beyond the checkpoint but is not commonly used for waiting, as most passengers pass through the security checkpoint immediately before boarding. Both passenger gates are ground-level doors to the tarmac; passengers board via the fold-down aircraft-door stairs, or airstairs (for larger charter aircraft). Gate 1 on the east side of the terminal is used by Horizon Air.

A charter flight at PUW in 2013

To the west, a new and significantly larger terminal is currently under construction;[26] groundbreaking ceremonies took place in August 2022, with completion expected in late 2023.[27]

The public airport shares the runway with a fixed-base operator, Interstate Aviation, which conducts chartered air service and flight school. Local engineering firm Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories owns and operates private hangars at the airport.

For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2014, the airport had 29,350 aircraft operations, an average of 80 per day: 85% general aviation, 14% scheduled commercial, 1% air taxi, and <1% military. Occasionally, the airport has accepted Boeing 737 aircraft on Alaska Airlines charter flights.

In January 2018, there were 71 aircraft based at this airport: 60 single-engine, 7 multi-engine, 3 jet, and 1 glider.[1]

Airline and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Alaska Airlines Boise, Seattle/Tacoma

Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes out of PUW
(October 2021 – September 2022)[28]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Seattle–Tacoma, Washington 53,000 Horizon Air
2 Boise, Idaho 13,000 Horizon Air

Accidents and incidents
  • On December 28, 1981, a twin-engine Cessna 402 crashed 1.5 miles (2.5 km) north of the airport during a morning snowstorm, killing its pilot, the sole occupant. A cargo flight from Spokane to Lewiston, it had diverted to Pullman due to a weather closure at Lewiston.[29][30][31][32][33]

References
  1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for PUW PDF, effective January 4, 2018.
  2. "Pullman airport closing temporarily to bring new runway online". WSU Insider. (Pullman, Washington): Washington State University. (Coug Life). August 29, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  3. Viydo, Taylor (October 10, 2019). "Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport completes work on new runway". KREM-TV. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  4. Wysocky, Ken (March 2020). "New runway at Pullman-Moscow Regional required perseverance & broad cooperation". Airport Improvement. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  5. "Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport realignment program". Mead & Hunt. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  6. Long, Ben (May 19, 1990). "New airport model of cooperation". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 12A.
  7. "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  8. "Horizon Air makes initial flight to Moscow-Pullman Airport". Lewiston Morning Tribune. December 5, 1981. p. 9C.
  9. "Horizon to add region stops". Spokesman-Review. February 5, 1983. p. 9.
  10. "Horizon plans three flights to Quad Cities". Lewiston Morning Tribune. February 5, 1983. p. 5B.
  11. "Horizon begins operations at Lewiston, Pullman". Lewiston Morning Tribune. March 16, 1983. p. 3B.
  12. Raquet, Murf (August 20, 1997). "Horizon Air bails on Boise". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). p. 1A.
  13. "Horizon Air will be cutting flights". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press, staff reports. August 21, 1997. p. 1C.
  14. McClure, Steve (September 2, 1997). "Horizon's defection hits home". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). p. 1B.
  15. Pearce, Emily (November 1, 2022). "Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport moves to full jet service". Lewiston Tribune. (Idaho). Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  16. "Cascade's 48-passenger planes will fly from Pullman Tuesday". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). January 27, 1982. p. 1B.
  17. Harrell, Sylvia (April 5, 1973). "Cascade Airways plans flights into Lewiston". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 20.
  18. Harrell, Sylvia (January 29, 1978). "Airlines report passenger increase at region's airports". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12A.
  19. Harriman, Peter (September 14, 1990). "United Express says goodbye". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1A.
  20. Fisher, David (August 17, 1988). "Pullman annexes airport". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1A.
  21. Darrow, Laurel (April 22, 1989). "One-horse airport doesn't help Palouse's image, says manager". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 8A.
  22. McCann, Sheila R. (April 22, 1989). "The end of a 'podunk' image?". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 7A.
  23. Semerad, Tony (April 24, 1989). "Cooperation praised at airport groundbreaking". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1A.
  24. Semerad, Tony (February 15, 1990). "Weather foils plans for first day". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1A.
  25. "Palouse's 'front door' opens". Idahonian. (Moscow). May 21, 1990. p. 1A.
  26. Trubey, Devin (April 1, 2019). "Design of new terminal at Pullman Moscow Airport in the works". (Lewiston, Idaho): KLEW-TV. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  27. Wolcott, R.J. (August 11, 2022). "Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport breaks ground on new terminal project". WSU Insider. (Washington State University). Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  28. "RITA BTS Transtats – PUW". www.transtats.bts.gov. September 30, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  29. "Spokane pilot killed at crash in Pullman". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 29, 1981. p. 5.
  30. "Pilot dies when plane goes down". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 29, 1981. p. 1B.
  31. "Federal investigator begins inquiry into fatal plane crash". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 30, 1981. p. 3B.
  32. Wanamaker, Ralph (January 26, 1982). "Pilot error indicated in fatal Pullman crash". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 5.
  33. "Pilot who crashed may have been trying to find runway". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 27, 1982. p. 8B.
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