Alaska Airlines announces eight non-stop routes from Paine Field

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

We now know where Alaska Airlines intends to fly when it begins service at Paine Field north of Seattle.

The carrier revealed eight new routes it will add from the airport in Everett, Wash., which does not currently have commercial airline service.

Alaska Airlines announced last May that it would begin flying from the airport, a move that would essentially turn Paine Field into a secondary airport for metro Seattle. United followed in August with news that it also would begin passenger service there.

Neither of the airlines are expected to begin flying there until fall, but Alaska Airlines had not yet detailed the destinations it would serve from Everett.

The carrier said on Tuesday that its initial Paine Field schedule would include flights to eight destinations: Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Orange County/Santa Ana, Calif.; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, Calif.

Alaska plans to fly a total of 13 daily round-trip flights from Everett, but added that precise schedule details would not come until later this year.

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Several of the new destinations – including Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego – are either hubs or “focus cities” for Alaska. That means Everett passengers will likely be able to book one-stop connecting itineraries to other cities in Alaska Airlines’ network.



"This is both a historic occasion and a great honor for Alaska Airlines," Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines’ chief commercial officer, said in a statement. "We're proud to become the anchor tenant of the new terminal at Paine Field. With so many new possibilities for business and leisure travel, we believe this will bring increased opportunities to our communities."

In announcing its plans to go to Paine Field back in May, Alaska Airlines touted convenience for those living north of Seattle -- especially on shorter flights to regional destinations. Traffic in the booming Seattle metro area has become a major nuisance, especially for those north of the city who have to drive through Seattle to get to city's primary airport, Seattle-Tacoma International.

Alaska Airlines, of course, operates its busiest hub at Seattle-Tacoma. But the company’s expansion to Everett comes as its Seattle-Tacoma hub has experienced soaring passenger numbers, something that’s partially a result of an ongoing Seattle turf battle between Alaska Air and partner-turned-rival Delta.

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The passenger growth pushed Sea-Tac closer to its capacity, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said in May.

For Alaska Air, its expansion to Everett also gives the carrier another stake in the greater Seattle area, allowing it to tout a local service that rival Delta does not offer as the two spar over the region.

Paine Field sits about 25 miles north of Seattle. A passenger terminal is being built there to accommodate the announced passenger service.

United, the second carrier to announce plans for Everett, has already said it intends to offer a schedule of six daily flights that it will split between its Denver and San Francisco hubs.

Despite its current lack of regular passenger flights, however, Paine Field is already well known in aviation circles. It’s home home to Boeing’s biggest assembly line, where the jetmaker performs final assembly on its 747, 767, 777 and 787 widebody aircraft in Everett. Boeing’s large aircraft keep a heavy flight schedule at the airport, which also hosts some private general aviation flying.

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