Questions:

What is an Airport Master Plan?
What are the different sections of an Airport Master Plan?
What is an Airport Layout Plan (ALP)?
What is the schedule for the South Suburban Airport Master Plan?
What is the schedule for the FAA’s Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement?
What is FAA’s role in the Master Plan process?

Answers:

What is an Airport Master Plan?
An Airport Master Plan is a document that represents the long-term development goals of an airport. The objective of a master plan is to provide guidelines for future airport development that will satisfy aviation demand in a financially feasible manner, while at the same time resolving the aviation, environmental and socioeconomic issues existing in the community. The Airport Master Plan provides graphic presentation of the future development of the airport and anticipated land uses in the vicinity of the airport; establishes a schedule for development; proposes an achievable financial plan; justifies the plan technically and procedurally; and addresses issues in a way that satisfies local, state and federal regulations.

What are the different sections of an Airport Master Plan?
An Airport Master Plan includes the following sections: Inventory, Forecasts, Demand-Capacity Analysis, Facility Requirements and Airport Layout Plan. Information contained in the Airport Master Plan will be evaluated in the FAA’s Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement.

What is an Airport Layout Plan (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. Unlike the text prepared for the Airport Master Plan, the ALP drawings outline the airfield proposal using computer aided drafting and design techniques.

What is the schedule for the South Suburban Airport Master Plan?
The Forecasts portion of the Master Plan has been submitted to the FAA for their review and concurrence. Other portions of the Master Plan, such as the Facility Requirements Section will be forwarded to the FAA in the summer of 2004. IDOT is also planning on submitting a preliminary ALP for the Inaugural Airport to FAA in the summer of 2004. After receiving comments on the preliminary ALP, IDOT will prepare a Draft Master Plan Report and ALP for submittal to FAA in the fall of 2004. FAA will use these documents in their evaluation of the project, which is the subject of a Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement being drafted by FAA and their consultant.

What is the schedule for the FAA’s Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement?
Currently, FAA hopes to release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the project sometime in the late winter/spring of 2005. A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) will take approximately another year to complete after the release of the DEIS.

What is FAA’s role in the Master Plan process?
The FAA has produced an Advisory Circular on methods to prepare an Airport Master Plan. This report, Advisory Circular 150/5070-6A, “Airport Master Plans” was last updated in June 1985. FAA will review the aeronautical forecasts contained in the Airport Master Plan to determine if they are acceptable for planning and environmental purposes. Once FAA and IDOT agree on a set of reasonable forecasts, IDOT will prepare an Airport Master Plan and Airport Layout Plan (ALP) based on the forecasts. FAA will review and comment on the Airport Master Plan and ALP to ensure that they comply with FAA standards and guidelines. It is also FAA’s responsibility to evaluate the ALP and alternatives to the ALP by conducting an environmental analysis of the project in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). At the end of the process, FAA will make a finding on the project, in the form of a Record of Decision (ROD) and either approve or reject the ALP.