Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International) is considering starting flights out of Everett, also known as Paine Field, after Snohomish County Council approved the construction of a two-gate passenger terminal at the airfield earlier this week. Once built, the terminal, which will be able to handle 23 flights a day, will be leased to Propeller Airports.
"The Snohomish County Council voted on March 2 to approve an option lease agreement with Propeller Airports that enables Propeller to begin preliminary design work and acquire the necessary permits to build a passenger terminal at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. Under a long-term lease, Propeller is responsible for building and maintaining a state-of-the-art, two gate terminal, which would revert to County ownership at the end of the lease," the New York-based firm said.
According to the KING 5 news site, Alaska Airlines e-mailed Snohomish County Council members 2 days before their vote requesting a delay to allow it to "assess market conditions for service to Paine Field." In the past, Alaska has said it would be interested in serving Paine Field so long as another airline set up shop there as well. Allegiant Air (G4, Las Vegas Harry Reid) has also expressed interest in offering commercial flights out of the airport.
Opponents of the project have attempted to block it on the grounds that added aircraft traffic would increase noise pollution as well as vehicle traffic in the surrounding communities of Mukilteo, Everett and Edmonds. In 2012, they sued the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after it published a report in favour of the new terminal at Paine Field. A judge, however, stayed the case last year until such time that a valid proposal for a terminal came forward.
At present, Paine Field is famous for being the home of Boeing's B747/777/787 assembly plant.
