Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International) has announced that it will operate flights out of Everett Paine Field airport starting in 2018. It will be the first commercial operations for the airfield, which is home to Boeing's Everett factory and an MRO facility operated by Aviation Technical Services.
Alaska says it plans to operate nine daily flights from Paine Field with a mixture of B737 and E175 aircraft, although route details are not yet available.
"But I can tell you they won't be limited to short, regional flights," said John Kirby, Alaska's Vice President of Capacity Planning. "We're talking daily, nonstop flights to some of our most popular destinations."
Work on a new terminal at the site is due start next month, following a decision by Snohomish County to allow the development of the airport by Propeller Investments. That decision has not been without opposition, with the Seattle Times reporting that some residents are worried about noise and increased traffic, and a detrimental effect on property values.
The new terminal is expected to have a maximum capacity of around sixteen flights per day but the developers believe that its small size will not be a deterrent.
"We have interest from a number of carriers," Propeller Investments Chief Executive Brett Smith told the Seattle Times. "I'm confident there will be more than Alaska by next year."
Alaska Airlines still requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to clear it for flights from the airport.
