Article: Airport Fuel Apron

The Port of Friday Harbor has embarked on a major construction project on the southern taxiway of the Friday Harbor Airport. The new construction is the result of a grant from the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) which now allows the Port to begin the multi-stage construction.

A new fuel apron along with two above ground tanks has been in the planning stages for several years and is now under construction. The re-enforced concrete apron will support two above ground aviation fuel tanks available to the general public’s aviation needs as well as commercial aviation fuel requirements operating from Friday Harbor. One of the tanks will hold 12 thousand gallons of general aviation fuel and the second tank will hold 15 thousand gallons of aviation turbine fuel commonly used by the larger commercial aircraft like the Cessna Caravan and helicopters such as those used by emergency services.

Once the 600 yards of concrete for the apron is poured it will take about 30 days for it to harden enough to support the two above ground fuel tanks. The tanks are double lined and rest on a spill containment area in case of accidental spillage. Additional safety measures are also in place to make certain that no fuel enters the ecosystem. Once the fueling area is complete, two, thirty-year-old 10-thousand-gallon underground fuel tanks located on the north end of the taxiway will be deactivated. That vacated space may become a future electric recharge station for emerging aviation technology. The entire project should be completed by June 1, 2026.

The Friday Harbor Airport is owned and operated by the Port of Friday Harbor.