Serving as Milwaukee County’s development framework and strategy over the next two decades, the MWC Master Plan Update is being funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the State of Wisconsin, and user fees; no property tax dollars are used for the airport’s capital improvements or for its day-to-day operation.

The planning process is guided by the FAA but reflects community and stakeholder priorities, ultimately delivering projections of future general aviation activity growth (such as aircraft takeoffs and landings and the number and type of aircraft based at the Airport), a concept for making Airport improvements, and an Airport Layout Plan that graphicly depicts how the Airport will evolve to accommodate increasing activity.

All public airports must stay current with continually evolving aviation safety and security standards, often requiring refinements in the way that the airfield, facilities, and access roads are configured. MWC’s master plan was last updated in 2008.  Given the evolution of FAA standards, regional economic development, and growing demand since the previous master plan, this planning effort is necessary.

The Master Plan Update will follow a defined planning process, starting with gathering information about existing facilities and aircraft activity and preparing a 20-year forecast of aviation activity at MWC. Existing facilities are evaluated to assess how well they will be able to accommodate forecast growth in demand. The gap between what existing facilities can safely and efficiently handle and the forecast of future activity is the basis for exploring development alternatives for meeting future demand. Ultimately, a preferred development path will be selected and a plan for its phased implementation defined.