Airport news: Seattle, New York, Dallas, LAX, LaGuardia A new airport for the Seattle area gets a green light, and more

Rendering of the new passenger terminal at Washington State's Paine Field. Rendering of the new passenger terminal at Washington State's Paine Field. Photo: Paine Field Photo: Paine Field Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Airport news: Seattle, New York, Dallas, LAX, LaGuardia 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

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In airport news, the FAA gives a green light to delayed commercial airline service out of Paine Field north of Seattle- and two airlines will add flights to SFO; the New York Governor's Office releases details of its plans for a huge overhaul of JFK Airport; Dallas/Ft. Worth gets another shared-use passenger lounge; Los Angeles International debuts a new ride-sharing icon on terminal signs; and departing Delta passengers at LaGuardia can get between terminals more easily.

Paine Field in Everett, Washington – along Interstate 5 about 23 miles north of downtown Seattle – had to delay its plans to begin commercial airline service this fall after the Federal Aviation Administration said the project needed an updated environmental assessment. The Seattle Times reports that the study is finished, and the FAA has given the airport the OK to begin commercial flights, which are expected to start early in 2019. A new passenger terminal at the airport is due to be completed this fall, and three airlines have plans to put Paine Field on their route maps. Alaska Airlines said it wants to fly from Paine to San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Orange County, Portland, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Phoenix. United said it will fly from Paine to San Francisco and Denver, and Southwest is targeting new service from Paine to Oakland and Las Vegas. Stay tuned. Currently, Paine Field is mainly used by Boeing and by general aviation services.

Early last year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan for major improvements at New York City's aging JFK Airport, with expanded terminals and new roadways – a $10 billion project, he said at the time. Now the governor's office has issued an update on that project, and the new price tag is $13 billion. It calls for the rebuilt JFK to be "anchored by two new world-class international terminal complexes on the airport's north and south sides," with the first gates due to open in 2023 and completion targeted for 2025. The governor's office said the new terminals would give JFK an additional 4 million square feet of space and increase the airport's capacity by 15 million passengers a year. Existing terminals would gradually be demolished, and the airport's transportation infrastructure would get a major overhaul. Including new interior roadways and increased capacity for the AirTrain that links JFK to Jamaica Station in Queens. The new passenger terminals "will feature significantly larger waiting areas with high ceilings, natural light and modern architecture coupled with interior green space, exhibits and art featuring iconic New York landmarks and local artists," the governor's office said, and the airport will have free high-speed Wi-Fi throughout.

Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport may notice a new icon on directional signs in the terminals – one that could spread to other airports soon. It's called Ride App Pickup, and it tells travelers how to get to the pickup point for their Uber, Lyft and similar ride-sharing services. The icon looks like a cell phone screen with a car and a locator pin in it. LAX officials said the new icon was developed in partnership with an airport trade organization and other national airports, "and is expected to gradually be deployed at airports across the U.S. in the coming months." Meanwhile, LAX also said the shuttle pickup areas for both private parking lots and Economy Lot C are moving from the upper/departures level to the lower/arrivals level at LAX terminals.

Airport Lounge Development has cut the ribbon on its 18th shared-use airport lounge, this one in Dallas/Ft. Worth International. The new Club DFW is located in Terminal D across from Gate 25. It's available to members of the Priority Pass program, Lounge Pass and Lounge Key, Diners Club International and the AAA Members Discount program, or to any traveler who buys a $40 day pass. The new lounge's 2,528 square feet are divided into a Privacy Zone for conference calls or Skype calls; a Replenish Zone with free hot and cold buffets and a full bar; a Productivity Zone with electrical outlets, ergonomic chairs, and computer/printer equipment; a Relax Zone with comfortable seating; and a Refresh Zone with private showers and restrooms. It's open daily from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

At New York LaGuardia, work has been finished on one little piece of the airport's ongoing reconstruction. A new vehicle bridge has opened that links the departures-level roads serving Delta's Terminals C and D, so that a car or taxi can use the existing ramp on the east end of the airport and proceed directly to Terminal D and then Terminal C. It's one part of a larger roadway reconfiguration at LGA that will ultimately reduce the number of traffic signals from 19 to three, Delta said. The airline is calling its part of the new LaGuardia the Delta Sky Way at LGA, and work is continuing on its terminals. "Customers flying through LaGuardia can already see the glass and metal façade wrapping much of Delta's first concourse on the new facility, and inside the new space, mechanical and electrical elements are progressing quickly," the company noted.

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