Sacramento airport survey seeks input on its next 20 years

Sacramento International Airport opened a public survey July 17 as Sacramento County begins updating the airport’s long-range Airport Master Plan. The survey is scheduled to remain open through August 14, 2026.

The planning effort looks ahead approximately 20 years. It is intended to help the Sacramento County Department of Airports evaluate how SMF may need to respond to future passenger and aircraft activity, facility demand, transportation access, environmental constraints and capital needs.

What the plan could influence

The master-planning process may examine airport facilities, terminal capacity, gates, airfield operations, parking, roadways, public transportation, accessibility and passenger amenities. It also considers alternatives, environmental issues, estimated capital costs and potential funding resources.

For travelers, that means the process could address familiar airport concerns such as parking availability, curbside traffic, walking distances, security and baggage processing, seating, food and retail choices, transit connections and overall passenger comfort.

The airport’s public outreach materials also identify sustainability and accessibility as topics for input. Those issues can affect how future facilities are designed and how travelers, employees and visitors move through the airport.

What the survey asks

The SMF The Next 20 survey asks respondents for basic information about their ZIP code, how often they travel by air, why they travel and how they usually get to the airport.

It also asks people to identify airport pain points and rank priorities. Questions cover flight options, terminal expansion and gates, parking, roadway access, security, baggage handling, public transportation, amenities, seating, food and retail, accessibility and sustainability.

Respondents are asked about their satisfaction with ground transportation and airport food and retail options. The survey also asks about support for long-term construction projects.

Participation is not limited to frequent flyers. The outreach is designed to gather input from travelers, residents, airport workers, businesses and people who may not have flown from SMF recently or at all.

What the survey does not decide

This is an early planning and public-input stage, not a formal vote or binding referendum. The survey does not approve a new terminal, parking structure, roadway, gate expansion or flight route.

It also does not establish a construction schedule, guarantee funding or determine which airlines will add service. Future recommendations would still need to move through separate decisions involving project priorities, environmental review, funding and authorization.

In other words, a master plan can identify and compare possible investments without automatically authorizing construction or setting a final budget.

How Sacramento-area residents can respond

Residents, airport workers, businesses and travelers can complete the official SMF The Next 20 public outreach survey before the August 14 deadline. Responses are intended to help shape future facility recommendations, capital-improvement priorities and the airport’s long-term development strategy.

The next steps to watch include additional public outreach, future master-plan recommendations, environmental review and decisions about which projects should receive priority and funding.

Sources

• Sacramento County airport survey announcement
• Sacramento County Department of Airports Planning & Design
• SMF The Next 20 public outreach survey