Southwest Oregon Regional Airport could restore daily flights to Portland in 2027, nearly a decade after its last scheduled service to the city ended.
The Coos County Airport District is negotiating with Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Airlines over the route as it finalizes a long-range master plan that anticipates substantial passenger growth. The plan calls for a runway extension and other improvements to accommodate that growth.
Executive Director Rodger Craddock said the airport hopes to begin daily Portland service sometime in 2027.
“That's a flight that we believe would be very successful, and we are currently courting two different airlines,” Craddock said.
The airport, located on the bay in North Bend, currently offers commercial flights to San Francisco and Denver through SkyWest.
The airport received a federal Small Community Air Service Development grant in 2019 to help establish a Portland route. Craddock said the airport came close to reaching a deal before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the airline industry.
That grant, combined with local matching money, could now provide as much as $2 million in subsidies during the route’s first two years.
Craddock said demand for service to Portland remains strong. The route could serve South Coast residents traveling to medical appointments in Portland and give passengers another way to connect with flights elsewhere.
The airport last had scheduled commercial service to Portland in 2017.
Planning for growth
The push for Portland service comes as the airport finalizes a long-range master plan that anticipates substantial passenger growth.
The airport recorded its busiest year ever in 2025. Its new aviation forecast assumes passenger traffic will grow by about 6% per year between 2023 and 2043, bringing roughly three times as many passengers by 2043.
“We’re seeing more growth, more passengers coming in and out,” Craddock said.
Part of the recent increase came from expanded service to Denver. The airport went from twice-weekly peak-season Denver flights in 2024 to daily service during the peak season in 2025.
The Federal Aviation Administration typically projects about 2% annual growth, but Craddock said the administration reviewed and approved the airport’s passenger forecast.
Those projections are helping determine what the airport may need to build next.
The draft master plan includes extending the nearly 6,000-foot runway by about 420 feet. Craddock said the extension would allow larger aircraft to operate with fewer weight restrictions.
The plan also calls for additional hangars and could eventually require expanding the terminal and adding another gate.
The district also plans to expand its apron, the area outside the terminal where aircraft park. The apron is too small to accommodate two of the larger aircraft now using the airport at the same time.
Most major airport projects must appear in the master plan before they qualify for federal funding. The district completed its last master plan in 2013.
Airport officials have finished the existing-conditions analysis, aviation forecast and development alternatives for the new plan. They are now working on implementation and feasibility before producing the final document.
The district expects to complete the master plan in the spring.
