Airport Advisory Committee mulls commercial aviation at AST

Published 1:09 am Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Commercial flights could return ‘by this summer,’ say Port officials

On Jan. 12, members of the Airport Advisory Committee met to hear a presentation by Nic Newsome, assistant chief pilot of Boutique Air on the possibility of bringing commercial flights between Astoria and Seattle, Washington.

Why does the Port want it

The Port of Astoria – which owns Astoria Regional Airport (AST) – has had a desire to see commercial flights return to Astoria.

In 2024, the Astoria Regional Airport Master Plan was finalized. The plan includes a feasibility assessment for passenger service.

According to the plan, during the 2021 fiscal year, there were over 239,000 unique visitors to Astoria. The assessment said that this was enough for a tipping point, to make a case for commercial air service.

In addition, it said communities like Astoria have had success in attracting “niche airlines” seeking to connect larger markets with “unique leisure travel destinations.”

According to Port Deputy Director Matt McGrath, the port is actively looking to become a departure point for cruise ships in the near future, which could be another reason to add air service.

“We can be looking at increasing our cruise ship business from 15 now, to 50, 60, 70 realistically here in the next few years,” said McGrath. “At that point, commercial service really kind of becomes a necessity, not just a luxury.”

What is Boutique Air

Boutique air is a small regional airline based in San Francisco. It currently operates one other route in Oregon, multiple times a day,12 months a year, between Portland and Pendleton.

The airline operates a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop planes that can hold eight passengers.

What would the service provide

According to Newsome, the scope of the service would be limited, offering four flights to Seattle and back for every week the service operates.

Newsome said the flights would be short — taking as little as 30 minutes one-way — and would connect Astoria with one of the largest hub airports in the world.

The choice to omit Portland as a service location aligns with the Airport Master Plan’s findings. According to the plan, passengers in the Portland area are accustomed to driving to Astoria, thus rendering the need for air travel moot.

When could this be available 

According to McGrath, the possibility of commercial flights coming soon is realistic.

“There’s a real possibility of having it by this summer,” he said.

“We wanted to get this to the (advisory committee) first so that we can start kind of turning on it,” said McGrath. He said by starting the process now, they can do all the vetting before bringing a motion to the Port Commission to begin service.

However, said Steve Dillard, chairman of the committee, “we’re not making a decision today.”