Renton airport preps for $18M upgrade, World Cup traffic

Published 5:30 am Friday, March 27, 2026

Fully staffed for the first time in five years, Renton Municipal Airport is rolling out live flight tracking, new security and an $18 million taxiway upgrade.

During the March 9 Renton Committee of the Whole meeting, airport manager Manny Cruz presented an update on the airport upgrades. The airport is fully staffed after hiring an operations manager, an operations specialist, and one additional airport maintenance worker to maximize the efficiency and customer service.

The airport implemented a new tracking program through Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) last year. The system allows the public to see a live feed of planes coming in, their time of arrival and their frequency through the airport website. It also shows the planes’ operations, such as flight schools or corporate.

“It also allows for audio to be able to listen to the tower as they’re operating with these airplanes coming in,” Cruz said. “When I was younger when I was getting into aviation, it helped me understand how people talk on the radios for an airport, but for the public, they could also just understand what’s coming in and see the economic impact of the airport.”

For capital improvements, the airport has added about $2 million worth of new pavement for transient parking and tie-down parking. This will provide four additional public parking spots for aircraft. The infrastructure also allows for electric aircraft charging stations, after the airport gets a grant for an aircraft charging battery. Cruz said the airport has received $40,000 in grant money from the Department of Ecology for the EV charging stations.

The airport received an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) grant of more than $18 million for the the Taxiway Alpha reconstruction project last year. The project is to replace 20-year-old pavement on Taxiway Alpha, the main road for the tenants and the public to use the airport. This project will begin on May 11. They will be replacing the Runway End Identification Light system, which currently has been used since the 1970s during this time.

“This will put us in a position where we can provide the best product for the customers using the airport and allow us to maintain a safe environment,” Cruz said.

A security project is replacing three gates to allow for better entry and exit for delivery vehicles and freight. Current fiber optic installation at the airport will allow for 53 new cameras at the airport and seaplane base.

“It’s going to be literally all around the airport and provide us for the first time ever, particularly on the east side of the airport, connectivity for our video and camera footage for not just incidents, but security,” Cruz said.

The airport opened a new airport administrative office last year. Cruz said the location will serve as a place they can receive tenants and transient customers, and collaborate with city staff. Three abandoned buildings on the southeast corner of the airport will be demolished to prepare the area for future development.

The administrative buildings were moved due to seismic issues in their former location near the control tower. The airport also applied for a $19 million grant with the FAA to replace the 1962 air traffic control tower.

At the seaplane base, they are working with contractors to conduct emergency dredging due to the floods in December 2025, which will allow more water space for the floats of the seaplanes to move safely.

The Renton Municipal Airport averages 100,000 to 140,000 operations a year. Cruz said most of that is general aviation flight training, but they service everything “from corporate flying to seaplane operations and a lot of government and military efforts as well.”

The airport has 91 tenants, which is the main source of income for the airport. Cruz said they have a variety from long-term to month-to-month tenants. The waitlist for month-to-month is in high demand with 190 names wanting to use the spaces.

The airport had a total revenue of $4,979,456 in 2025. Expenses totaled $2,539,537 last year. Fees for the T-Hanger rental space and the tie-down rental space were increased in 2025, but there were no fee increases for airport charges this year.

Seattle is hosting several FIFA World Cup games this summer and is expected to bring more domestic and international flights into the area. Cruz expects SeaTac Airport and Paine Field to handle the majority of it. Renton Municipal Airport is not a commercial 139-certified airport and cannot land commercial airliners.

“For our local areas, we’ve been talking to our FBOs, which are the main service providers for the smaller airplanes, and they’re not seeing any uptick at this time,” Cruz said. “If there’s any upticks, we’ll be ready for receiving, most likely smaller, airplanes.”