Business Jets at Truckee Tahoe Airport, October 2014
An article in Business Jet Traveller predicts growth in business jet travel in the next ten years. This trend means increase in business jet traffic, jet noise and pollution over Truckee, CA and neighboring pristine mountain communities.
There has already been a major increase in jet noise over the past year without any notice to the community from the the Truckee Tahoe Airport District. The Truckee Tahoe Airport District Board of Directors is considering instead construction of a multipurpose hangar used for large business jets which are especially damaging to the environment. Increasing numbers of business jets and jet taxis have already been observed using the general aviation airport in Truckee. The airport is located very near the town center and a number of hiking trails and residential neighborhoods where many people buy primary residences and second homes to rest and relax.
The business jet hangar project, if approved and implemented, will further increase jet traffic and jet noise over Truckee – Tahoe. The Truckee Tahoe Airport District gets approximately $4.3 million in property tax revenue per year from district residents. The Truckee Tahoe Airport District says in its mission statement that it “strives for low impact on our neighbors while enhancing the benefit to the community-at-large.”
READ: Alarming increase of jet noise over Truckee, Eco Truckee Tahoe News, Oct. 2, 2014
General aviation industry trends in themselves are not good for the environment and ecology of the Truckee – Tahoe mountain region.
Bombardier Aerospace expects the worldwide business jet fleet to more than double in the next two decades. The company predicts a compound annual growth rate of 3.7% over the forecast period, from 14,875 aircraft in 2012 to 30,975 by 2032, net of retirements.
Bombardier Aerospace forecasts North America to receive the greatest number of new business jet deliveries between 2013 and 2032 with 9,490 aircraft; 4,100 aircraft between 2013 and 2022 and 5,390 from 2023 to 2032. The company predicts that the 2012 fleet of 9,600 business jets will grow to 13,640 aircraft by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 2%.
The Truckee Tahoe Airport District and its Board of Directors must do everything possible to minimize the impact of increasing business jet traffic and jet noise and pollution on the local community instead of building a hangar for large jets that will contribute to further increase in the number business jets flying over Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding areas.
Instead of increasing jet traffic by building a jet hangar, which would be by far the largest and the tallest building structure in Truckee, pilots and passengers using business jets could be urged by the Truckee Tahoe Airport District to fly to nearby commercial airports, such as Reno, NV, to minimize environmental and ecological damage to the mountain resort area of Truckee – Tahoe.
Here are some of the predictions from the Business Jet Traveller article that should concern residents of Truckee – Tahoe who wish to preserve the lake and mountain resort character of the community and want to protect it from environmental degradation:
“In the next decade, the benefits of flying privately through shared-use investments like fractional will remain compelling,” James D. Butler, CEO, Shaircraft Solutions, is quoted by Business Jet Traveller.
“The number of business aircraft will more than double over the next decade and bizav will take place worldwide…,” Christoph Meyerrose, managing director and CEO, Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services told Business Jet Traveller.
“We forecast that the business jet fleet will grow 36 percent worldwide over the next decade,” Rolland Vincent, creator and director, Jetnet IQ, told Business Jet Traveller.
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