An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 at Paine Field (for maintenance).
Copied and pasted from Alaska Airlines email. This story will not show up on the main AirlineReporter.com page.
Statement from Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of planning and
revenue management:
’œAlaska Airlines believes the Puget Sound region is best served by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Adding commercial air service to a
regional airport located 42 miles away from the state’s largest airportand an hour’s drive from Bellingham International Airportis not a good alternative for our region. It would also require a multimillion-dollar investment to build a new terminal and other facilities to accommodate passenger service. ’œSignificant investments have been made in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in recent years with the completion of a third runway, a substantial terminal remodel, new rental car facility and 17-mile light-rail line connecting the airport and downtown Seattle. These improvements have provided more convenience for travelers at Sea-Tac, where efficiencies of scale enable Alaska Airlines to offer our customers low fares.
’œWith this said, if a competitor begins commercial service at Paine Field, we would respond by adding flights using both a Bombardier Q400 turboprop and Boeing 737 jet.’
Background information regarding Alaska Airlines and Paine Field
In the four years since Horizon Air first expressed interest in adding six daily flights from Paine Field, business conditions have changed dramatically due to the global economic recession and other factors. Horizon has also fulfilled competing opportunities in other markets for the limited number of aircraft that are available to start new service.
The more the selfish Mukilteo luddites delay the natural use of Paine Field for commercial air service, the more they damage the business climate in Snohomish County.
Single-engine prop planes are far noisier flying overhead than the present generation of jets, even ones as large as the Boeing 777.
Changing Paine Field over to commercial service might actually REDUCE noise by pushing owners of small single-prop planes to the Arlington Municipal Airport, which is more appropriate for their use anyway.