Decommissioning Runway 11/29
Effective September 10th, 2020, both Runway 11/29 and Taxiway W will be officially decommissioned at Paine Field. These are our crosswind runway and associated parallel taxiway to the south, which are leased to The Boeing Company for aircraft storage. With support from the Washington Pilots Association, Paine Field Chapter, PAE requested approval from the FAA to permanently decommission RWY 11/29 and TWY W in late May of this year (2020). Approval to do so was received from the FAA in June.
Because these airport surfaces are moving from a closed to a decommissioned status, there will be a few changes to our taxiway system, as well as updates to our airport charts. As always, please ensure you are using the most current chart documents when flying. The newest FAA airport diagram and chart supplement for Paine Field will be current September 10th.
In addition to the changes listed above, pilots may also notice the following benefits from this project:
- Reduced control instruction from ATC when transitioning through the east end of the West Ramp (“Cross runway 11 at D3” will no longer apply)
- Better organized and condensed chart supplement
- Cleaner airport diagram that better represents PAE.
Decommissioning these surfaces has been deemed the best course of action at this time, as the prevailing winds at Paine Field do not support the need for a crosswind runway. The parallel runways at Paine Field (RWYs 16R/34L and 16L/34R) provide 98% wind coverage for all aircraft types. Boeing will continue to use this space for the duration of their lease, however, taking these steps will better position PAE for the development of this area in the future. Any decisions to develop this area will be made in the PAE master planning process.
