Aviation Systems Plan Update (CASP 2020) Embarks on New Approach 

Kim Stevens California

The California Aviation System Plan (CASP) 2020 was adopted by the California Transportation Commission on August 18, 2021.  It is the update from the last edition of the CASP 2016. 

The CASP 2020 is a visionary document and presents a new approach and format for state aviation system plans.  It envisions the role of aviation in California as supporting the State’s multi-modal environment, focusing on equity and sustainability.  The CASP 2020 narrative includes aviation’s relationships to freight, active transportation, transit, and other areas and modes of transportation. 

The vision of the CASP is expressed within six key subject areas that cover federal and State provisions for evaluating California airports and aviation:

  • Regulatory and policy frameworks
  • Economics and funding
  • Infrastructure and safety
  • Future trends and needs
  • Mobility and access
  • Sustainability and land use

In the CASP 2020, airports are reviewed for more than their facilities or performance measures.  They are incorporated into the mode of aviation for its part in the California Transportation Plan 2050 and include:

  • Safety                                          
  • Climate
  • Equity
  • Sustainability
  • Quality of life/public health
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Infrastructure

CASP 2020 is a guiding document within the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and serves as a resource for airports, stakeholders, and other states seeking to integrate aviation with surface transportation for economic, social, and environmental benefits. 

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.