Paine Air Force Base
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Seattle Paine Field International Airport — also known as Paine Field and Snohomish County Airport — is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the
Seattle metropolitan area The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding Satellite city, satellites and suburbs. The United States Census Bureau defines the Seattle–T ...
in the U.S. state of
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
. It is located in unincorporated
Snohomish County, Washington Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most populo ...
, between the cities of
Mukilteo Mukilteo ( ; ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on Puget Sound between Edmonds and Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2019 ...
and Everett, about north of
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. PAE covers of land. The airport was built in 1936 by the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
and began commercial service in 1939. It was named for
Topliff Olin Paine Topliff Olin "Top" Paine (April 26, 1893 – April 30, 1922) was an American airmail and Army Air Corps pilot. Paine Field, an airport in Snohomish County, Washington, is named for him. Biography Paine was born on April 26, 1893, in Orwell, Ohi ...
in 1941, shortly before the Army Air Corps began the occupation of Paine Field for military use. The airport briefly returned to civilian use from 1946 through 1950 with service by
West Coast Airlines West Coast Airlines was a United States local service carrier, a scheduled airline certificated by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), linking small cities in the Pacific Northwest with larger cities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, ...
before conversion into an
air force base An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...
during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. In 1966, the
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
Company selected Paine Field for the site of its Everett assembly plant as part of the
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
program. By the 1970s, the airport had grown into a hub for light aviation and manufacturing, lacking commercial service. The county government sought to begin commercial service at Paine Field as early as the 1980s but was halted by opposition from neighboring cities. In March 2019, Paine Field resumed commercial service at a newly constructed terminal. The
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA)
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. With the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of September 3, 1982, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was required to develop a ...
for 2023–2027 categorized it as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.


Description

Paine Field has two runways: 16R/34L and 16L/34R. 16R/34L, at in length, is suited for the majority of aircraft and sees occasional heavy traffic. The first 1,000 feet of runway 16R is concrete, while the remainder is asphalt. It is in very good condition. Runway 16L/34R is in length, and suitable only for small aircraft. Its pavement is in fair condition, with a noticeable rise in elevation mid-field, when compared with the ends. Runway 11-29 was decommissioned on September 10, 2020, and
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
is leasing some of the former runway space to park partially completed aircraft. The Paine (PAE)
VOR/DME In radio navigation, a VOR/DME is a radio beacon that combines a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) with a distance-measuring equipment (DME). The VOR allows the receiver to measure its bearing to or from the beacon, while the DME provides the sla ...
is located on the field. It is unusually mounted on top of a Boeing hangar. The airport has 456 general aviation hangars, of which 326 are leased by the County, and 130 are "condominium" hangars. Wait time for a hangar currently ranges between 6 months and 5 years, depending on type. Paine Field is adjacent to the
Boeing Everett Factory The Boeing Everett Factory, officially the Everett Production Facility, is an airplane assembly facility operated by Boeing in Everett, Washington, United States. It sits on the north side of Paine Field and includes the largest building in th ...
, the world's largest building by volume, and the primary assembly location for Boeing's wide-body 767 and 777, although the facility also produced the
747 747 may refer to: * 747 (number), a composite number * AD 747, a year of the Julian calendar * 747 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * Boeing 747, a large commercial plane Arts and media * 747s (band), an indie band * ''747'' (album), by country m ...
and the 787, with the former ending production in 2022 and the latter being moved to
Boeing South Carolina Boeing South Carolina is an airplane assembly facility operated by Boeing in North Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Located on the grounds of the joint-use Charleston Air Force Base and Charleston International Airport, the site i ...
in March 2021. Paine Field is also home to Aviation Technical Services (ATS), one of the nation's largest aviation maintenance facilities. ATS operates a facility, formerly operated by Goodrich (formerly known as Tramco), and sold to ATS in the fall of 2007. ATS does 'heavy' checks for a number of airlines and cargo companies. According to their web page, they average 443 aircraft redeliveries each year. Paine Field is home to four flight schools – Chinook Flight Simulations, Regal Air, Northway Aviation, and Everett Helicopters – making it a popular destination for flight training. There are also a number of flying clubs on the field. Paine Field leases commercial space to aviation-related and other small businesses on its property at the "IAC Building" located between the runways at the south end of the airport. The FAA-operated control tower maintains limited hours, operating only between 7 AM and 9 PM local time. During times that the tower is operational, both runways are active, but after hours, only runway 16R-34L is open. The airport's administrative offices are located adjacent to the passenger terminal. It is scheduled to move in late February 2025 to a former Boeing training building to accommodate future expansion of the passenger terminal. The new administration building will be shared with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, who will locate their West Precinct on the first floor. The airport has several natural reserves and sanctuaries around its perimeter, including ponds that were certified in 2019 as Salmon-Safe. The salmon-safe area is bounded generally by Mukilteo Speedway on the west, State Route 526 ("Boeing Freeway") on the north, Airport Road (east) and Beverly Park Road on the south.


History

Paine Field was originally constructed in 1936 as a
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
project. At the time of development, it was envisioned that the Airport would create jobs and economic growth in the region by becoming one of the ten new "super airports" around the country. Paine Field was taken over by the
U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
prior to entry into World War II as a patrol, air defense, and fighter training base and was later controlled by the
U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
. With the end of the war, the airfield began to be returned to the civilian control of
Snohomish County Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most popul ...
. In 1947, as transition activities were still underway, military control of the then-Paine Army Airfield was transferred to the newly established
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
, with the facility renamed Paine Field. Transfer of the property to the Snohomish County government was completed in 1948, however, the Air Force continued to maintain various
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
units at the airport as military tenants. Before Snohomish County could start planning for the continued development of a "super airport", the United States was again involved in an armed conflict—this time in
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
and also the breakout of the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
with the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. When the Pacific Northwest defense installations were reviewed House Representative
Henry M. Jackson Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. representative (1941–1953) and U.S. senator (1953–1983) from the state of Washington (state), Washington. A Cold W ...
recommended more military presence in the area and Paine Field was reactivated as a military airbase. Paine Field was returned to
USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
control in 1951, renamed Paine Air Force Base, and placed under the jurisdiction of the
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
(ADC). While the county relinquished most of its commercial facilities to house USAF personnel, units, and assets, the site did not have an exclusive military presence. The airfield remained a joint civil-military airport with the Air Force operating the control tower and other air traffic control facilities, while the county, in a shared-use agreement, rented commercial leasehold areas to businesses such as
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the fifth-largest airline in North America when measured by scheduled passengers carried, as of 2024. Alaska, togethe ...
. The 4753rd Air Base Squadron (later re-designated the 86th Air Base Squadron) was activated on the new Air Force base on February 1, 1952, as a placeholder unit. Although inactive for only six years, significant military construction (MILCON) was necessary to bring the World War II training base up to postwar USAF standards. In 1951, additional land surrounding the Paine AFB site was appropriated for military facilities and extended runways. A 9,000-foot jet runway (Rwy 16/34) was constructed along with accompanying taxiways, permanent concrete buildings, and other support facilities to replace the temporary wartime wooden structures that were viewed as substandard for a permanent USAF base. The 529th Air Defense Group was activated on February 16, 1953, and became the permanent host unit at Paine AFB until redesigned as the 326th Fighter Group in 1955. Various regular Air Force fighter-interceptor units and
Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...
troop carrier units operated at Paine AFB from 1951 until the mid-1960s. In 1966, USAF identified Paine AFB for closure due to budgetary constraints caused by the cost of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. The by then-host unit, the 57th Fighter Group phased down operations with the departure of the interceptors and was inactivated in place on September 30, 1968. Paine AFB has inactivated on the same date and the facility was returned to full civilian control as Paine Field / Snohomish County Airport. The (215 EIS) of the Washington Air National Guard, formerly situated at Paine Field, was inactivated in 2013. Paine AFB / Paine Field had also been under consideration in the 1960s by
Army Air Defense Command Army Air Defense Command, previously Army Anti-Aircraft Command, was a major command of the United States Army which existed from 1957 to 1974. The previous ARAACOM was created in 1950 and was redesignated ARADCOM in 1957. It was formed to command ...
as one of several sites for the
Sentinel Sentinel may refer to: Places Mountains * Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana * Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica * Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring granit ...
Anti-Ballistic Missile System due to its central location to several other major military bases and defense industries in the Puget Sound Region. Sentinel was eventually dropped in favor of the limited
Safeguard In international trade law, a safeguard is a restraint to protect home or national industries from foreign competition. In the World Trade Organization (WTO), a member may take a safeguard action, such as restricting imports of a product tempo ...
system. On July 25, 1966,
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
announced that it would build the
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
, a
jet airliner A jet airliner or jetliner is an airliner powered by jet engines (passenger jet aircraft). Airliners usually have twinjet, two or quadjet, four jet engines; trijet, three-engined designs were popular in the 1970s but are less common today. Air ...
capable of carrying nearly twice as many passengers as previous models. To build the giant aircraft, Boeing had to construct a facility large enough to handle the world's largest commercial jetliner. The land just north of Paine Field was chosen to construct the new facilities, including some development on the airport itself. Both the local government and the FAA concurred with the development. Work on the massive building began in August 1966 and the first employees arrived in early 1967. The 747 made its first flight at Paine Field on February 9, 1969. In 1984, the
Snohomish County Council The Snohomish County Council is the legislative body of Snohomish County, Washington. The county council was created in 1979 and consists of five members serving four-year terms. Members :' ;Notes History The county council was created on ...
considered legislation to rename Paine Field for Senator
Henry M. Jackson Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. representative (1941–1953) and U.S. senator (1953–1983) from the state of Washington (state), Washington. A Cold W ...
, who had died a few months earlier. The proposal was put on hold after the
Port of Seattle The Port of Seattle is a public agency that is in King County, Washington. It oversees the seaport of Seattle as well as Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. With a portfolio of properties ranging from parks and waterfront real estate, to ...
renamed
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport Seattle–Tacoma International Airport is the primary international airport serving Seattle and its surrounding metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is in the city of SeaTac, which was named after the airport's nickname Se ...
for Jackson, which sparked public outcry and force them to revert to the original name. In late 2005, construction of the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour building was completed. The project, formerly known as the National Flight Interpretive Center, includes the Boeing factory tour as well as a gallery that highlights the newest developments in aviation, including both parts and components of airplanes, manufactured by
Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...
and
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
. The facility was opened to a private audience on December 16, 2005, and the following day the facility was open to the public. The
Museum of Flight The Museum of Flight is a private Nonprofit organization, non-profit Aircraft, air and Spacecraft, space museum in the Seattle metropolitan area. It is located at the southern end of Boeing Field, King County International Airport (Boeing Fi ...
also has a restoration center at the airport's main gate; located further south is the
Me 262 Project The Me 262 Project is a company formed to build flyable reproductions of the Messerschmitt Me 262, the world's first operational jet fighter. The project was started by the Texas Airplane Factory and administered by Classic Fighter Industries. ...
.
Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American businessman, computer programmer, and investor. He co-founded Microsoft, Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which was followed by the ...
's
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is a U.S.A. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the display and preservation of rare military aircraft, tanks and other military equipment. The museum reopened on the Memorial Day Weekend 2023. O ...
has a large, refurbished hangar at the south end of the field, which opened as a museum in June 2008. The
Historic Flight Foundation The Historic Flight Foundation (HFF) was an aviation museum located at Felts Field in Spokane, Washington. The museum collected, restored, and flew historic aircraft from the period between Charles Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh's solo Atlantic cro ...
also housed and maintained early military aircraft. However, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum closed in May 2020 as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and in April 2022 it was reported that the collection was sold and the museum would not re-open. The Historic Flight Foundation closed their museum at Paine Field in 2020 as well, with their museum at
Felts Field Felts Field is a public airport in the Northwestern United States, located northeast of Downtown Spokane, in Spokane County, Washington. It is owned by Spokane City-County. The airport has two parallel runways. Now used for general aviation, ...
in
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
now being their only location.


Commercial service proposals and debate

The use of Paine Field for commercial air service is highly controversial. Several local governments have adopted resolutions against the use of Paine Field for commercial flights including Snohomish County (the airport's operator), the neighboring cities of Brier, Edmonds,
Lynnwood Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located north of Seattle and south of Everett, near the junction of Interstate 5 and Interstate 405. It is the four ...
, Mountlake Terrace,
Mukilteo Mukilteo ( ; ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on Puget Sound between Edmonds and Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2019 ...
, and Woodway. Additionally, a local citizens group called "Save Our Communities" has worked to oppose any commercial flights at the airport. Notably, the city of Everett, the largest in the county and the county seat, has adopted a resolution in favor of the use of Paine Field for commercial air service. The use and expansion of the airport is currently governed by an agreement that was forged during 1978–1979 negotiations, called the Mediated Role Determination (MRD). The MRD recommends the role of Paine Field to be as a general aviation and aerospace manufacturing airport, while discouraging other types of activities including supplemental/charter air passenger service. In 2005,
Snohomish County Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most popul ...
commissioned a panel to review the MRD. That panel recommended that the MRD "should not be ratified or revised, but should be retired as a policy document". In June 2008, the Snohomish County Council rejected the findings of its panel, and as in 1989, 1992, and 2001, restated its opposition to commercial air passenger services operating from Paine Field with this resolution:
Reaffirm our county's commitment to preserving the existing general aviation role of Paine Field, and opursue any and all lawful and appropriate means to discourage any action that would facilitate, directly or indirectly, use of Paine Field for scheduled air passenger service or air cargo service, which may include an interlocal agreement.
Further reflecting its opposition to commercial air service, Snohomish County has adopted a policy of not spending funds to subsidize airlines or to pay for the infrastructure needed to support commercial air service. In 2008, two airlines,
Allegiant Air Allegiant Air is an American ultra low-cost carrier, ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airline focuses on serving leisure traffic from small and medium-sized cities which it considers to be underserved, using an ult ...
and Horizon Air, expressed interest in establishing passenger flights to Paine Field to the airport authority. In May 2008, in response to these requests, the Chairman of the Snohomish County Council sent Allegiant Air a letter stating their opposition to the request to start air service. The FAA wrote to the airport authority in June 2008 to reiterate that as a recipient of federal FAA grants, the County may not prohibit commercial aeronautical activities offering services to the public. If the County blocked commercial flights, it would risk an enforcement action under Federal Aviation Regulation 16. The airport completed a draft environmental assessment of the effects of commercial aviation at Paine Field in December 2009, and the public comment period ended on February 5, 2010. Opposition to Paine Field hosting commercial air service was overwhelming in meetings held for comments on the draft environmental assessment. The neighboring city of Mukilteo hired an aviation attorney to represent the interests of the city during the environmental assessment process and promised to "make it time consuming, expensive and stretch it out. We'll fight the terminal legally."Mukilteo promises battle over Paine Field flights
/ref> On December 4, 2012, the FAA concluded that commercial airplanes could fly out of Paine Field without significantly adding to local noise and traffic. The findings cleared the way for commercial operations along with the construction of a terminal building. On February 5, 2013, the cities of Edmonds and Mukilteo, along with two individuals, filed notice with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that they intend to challenge the results of the Environmental Assessment. On July 15, 2013, Allegiant Air refused the county's terms to operate a terminal at Paine.


Commercial service resumes

In June 2014, New York-based Propeller Investments asked Snohomish County to start discussions leading to their construction of a terminal and parking facility at Paine Field. Propeller Investments would shoulder the risk — leasing land from the airport, financing terminal construction, and finding tenant airlines. On March 2, 2015, Snohomish County approved a lease-option agreement that gave Propeller Airports three years to carry out preliminary design work, environmental studies and to obtain permits needed to construct a proposed two-gate passenger terminal. In turn, Snohomish County would receive about $429,000 per year in rent plus a share of flight and parking revenues. On March 4, 2016, a federal court denied an appeal by the City of Mukilteo and other citizens groups to prevent commercial flights at Paine Field. The ground was broken for the passenger terminal on June 5, 2017. The 30,000 square foot building will have two gates and will be capable of handling about 16 flights per day. The operator, Propeller Airports, has agreed to limit early-morning and late-night commercial flights to reduce noise impacts on Mukilteo and nearby residential areas. Alaska Airlines was the first to announce in May 2017 that it would operate from Paine Field. The airline initially announced that it would fly nine daily flights with a mix of mainline and
regional jet A regional jet (RJ) is a jet airliner, jet-powered regional airliner usually defined by having fewer than 100 seats. The first aircraft considered part of this category was the Sud-Aviation Caravelle in 1959, followed by Douglas DC-9, BAC O ...
s. In January 2018, Alaska announced that instead all flights from Everett would be operated by its regional subsidiary, Horizon Air using the
Embraer 175 The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast, narrow-body, short- to medium-range, twin-engined jet airliners designed and produced by Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. The E-Jet was designed to complement Embraer’s earlier ...
regional jet, but that it would be offering 13 flights each day. In November 2018, the number of daily departures was again increased to 18. Alaska plans daily flights to several west coast destinations:
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, Orange County, Phoenix,
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
,
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, and San Jose. United Airlines announced on August 10, 2017, that six flights a day will be operated to its hubs in
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
and San Francisco.
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., or simply Southwest, is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States that formerly operated on a low-cost carrier model. It is headquartered in the Love Field, Dallas, Love Field neighborhood ...
announced on January 25, 2018, their intention to serve the airport with five daily flights, three to
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
and two to
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. However, on November 15, 2018, Southwest reversed that decision and transferred its slots to Alaska Airlines. Between Alaska and United, the initial commercial flight schedule for the airport included 24 daily departures, which was 50 percent higher than airport managers had initially planned for. In June 2018, the FAA announced an additional review of environmental impacts of passenger airline service, delaying the start of service between November 2018 and November 2019. The environmental review was completed in September 2018, and no significant additional environmental impacts were found, clearing the way for commercial service to start in early 2019. Alaska previously announced that it planned to inaugurate service on February 11 with a ceremonial flight to
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, before ramping up to a full schedule of 18 departures on March 12, 2019. Alaska added that the gradual ramp-up would allow the airline and its employees to ensure operations at the new airport terminal were running smoothly. Alaska later announced in January 2019 that it was tentatively postponing the start of operations from February 11 to March 4, 2019, due to the 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown further delaying governmental approval to begin service. The first Alaska Airlines flight from Paine Field, carrying invited guests to Portland, departed at 10 a.m. on March 4, 2019; it was then followed by public flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix. United began service to Denver and San Francisco on March 31, 2019. The San Francisco flights ceased in March 2020, after the airline found insufficient demand. Within a year of opening, the commercial terminal served more than one million passengers. Long-term plans for the terminal include free luggage carts, a cellphone lot, and a consolidated
rental car A car rental, hire car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time to the public, generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with numerous local branches (which allow a user to ...
center. The airport's operators have also stated their desire to see larger planes, including
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
s, serve the terminal and routes to destinations like
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. The commencement of commercial service brought new noise complaints from nearby residents, including 10 households who submitted 62 percent of the 3,656 complaints filed in December 2019. San Juan Airlines announced plans in April 2019 to begin scheduled service from the separate Castle and Cooke Aviation building at Paine Field, in addition to its current charter offerings. Two daily flights to
Friday Harbor Airport } Friday Harbor Airport is a public use airport located just southwest of the town center of Friday Harbor, Washington, Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is owned by the Port of Friday Harbo ...
on
San Juan Island San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km2 (55.053 sq mi) and a population of 8,632 as of the 2020 census. Washington State F ...
began on May 1, using small Cessna airplanes. The number of flights at Paine Field was reduced to a single daily round-trip operated by Alaska Airlines in May 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The airport announced that it would close for 71 days to complete repairs to the gate ramps and other maintenance while traffic and demand were reduced. The terminal reopened on August 1 with three daily flights: Las Vegas and Phoenix on Alaska Airlines; and Denver on United Airlines. In July 2021, United announced that they would be ending service to Paine Field in October of that year, opting instead to consolidate their resources at Sea-Tac. Alaska gradually added service from Paine Field throughout 2021, and in April 2022, announced they would resume their full pre-pandemic schedule of 18 peak daily departures. They also announced the beginning of mainline
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
service to the airport, supplementing the existing E-175 service from regional operator Horizon Air. The county government renamed the airport to Seattle Paine Field International Airport on July 18, 2023. The new name is meant to advertise the airport's proximity to Seattle. The Washington Air National Guard plans to transfer at Paine Field to the Snohomish County government for industrial use and to expand an existing access road.


Passenger terminal

The new passenger terminal is located on the east side of the airport, near the intersection of Airport Road and 100th Street Southwest. Adjacent to the
control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled a ...
, it has two gates and an additional
hardstand A hardstand (also hard standing and hardstanding in British English) is a paved or hard-surfaced area on which vehicles, such as cars or aircraft, may be parked. The term may also be used informally to refer to an area of compacted hard surface su ...
space. The terminal includes a check-in area, a single TSA security checkpoint, a lobby with 300 seats, a coffee shop, a bar, and a food stand operated by Beecher's Handmade Cheese. The lobby also has a curated display case with aviation memorabilia that represent the history of Paine Field, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines; additional
public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...
work is installed in the parking lot and outside the building, including a statue of
Topliff Olin Paine Topliff Olin "Top" Paine (April 26, 1893 – April 30, 1922) was an American airmail and Army Air Corps pilot. Paine Field, an airport in Snohomish County, Washington, is named for him. Biography Paine was born on April 26, 1893, in Orwell, Ohi ...
. The terminal also has
valet parking Valet parking is a parking service offered by some restaurants, stores, and other businesses. In contrast to "self-parking", where customers find a parking space on their own, customers' vehicles are parked for them by a person called a '' va ...
, curbside drop-off areas, and a ride-hail/taxi stand. The terminal was named the best regional airport in the world by ''
Monocle A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens placed in front of the eye and held in place by the eye socket itself. Often, to avoid losing the monoc ...
'' magazine and one of the best small airports in the United States by ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
''.


Airlines and destinations

At the time of its full launch in May 2019, Paine Field had 26 daily arrivals and departures on
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the fifth-largest airline in North America when measured by scheduled passengers carried, as of 2024. Alaska, togethe ...
through their regional subsidiaries, as well as San Juan Airlines. The earliest departure was scheduled at 6 a.m. and the latest departure was 9:05 p.m. As of June 2022, Paine Field has 18 daily departures to 9 destinations. Most Alaska Airlines flights are operated by Horizon Air, though Alaska Airlines also operates a number of mainline
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
jets to supplement the regional carrier.


Passenger


Cargo

There are no scheduled cargo flights to Paine Field as of December 2024. Starting in 2021,
FedEx Express FedEx Express is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2023, it is the world's List of largest airlines, largest cargo airline in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the namesake and leadi ...
briefly operated a service to
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...
operating out of the Dreamlifter Operations Center previously used by Boeing after production of the Boeing 787 was moved to Boeing South Carolina. This service has since ended. The airport does see regular chartered cargo operations.


Statistics


Airline market share


Top destinations


Ground transportation

Paine Field's passenger terminal is located west of the intersection of Airport Road and 100th Street SW. Airport Road continues south towards State Route 99 and
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
, the region's two primary north–south highways, and north towards State Route 526. State Route 526, a short
freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
spur, connects the Paine Field area to
Mukilteo Mukilteo ( ; ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on Puget Sound between Edmonds and Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2019 ...
and Everett via Interstate 5 and Evergreen Way.


Public transportation

The passenger terminal has two bus stops that are served by
Community Transit Community Transit (CT) is the public transit authority of Snohomish County, Washington, United States, in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates Public transport bus service, local bus, paratransit and vanpool service within Snohomish Count ...
and Everett Transit. A bus stop in the departures/arrivals area of the terminal is served by Everett Transit Route 8 with direct service to
Everett Station Everett Station is a train station serving the city of Everett, Washington, United States. The station has been served by ''Amtrak Cascades, Cascades'' and ''Empire Builder'' since opening in 2002, replacing an earlier station near the Port o ...
. Community Transit operates one route along Airport Road, serving stops that are within walking distance of the terminal. The Swift Green Line, a bus rapid transit route, debuted in late March 2019 and connects Paine Field to Seaway Transit Center, south Everett, Mill Creek, and northern Bothell. It runs every 10 minutes midday on weekdays and 20 minutes at other times.
Sound Transit Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It manages the Link light rail system in Se ...
, the regional transit system, also plans to build a
Link light rail Link light rail is a light rail system with some rapid transit characteristics that serves the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit pro ...
extension to Everett in 2036, with a stop in the Paine Field area.


Accidents and incidents

* On July 29, 1962, a
USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
North American Sabreliner The North American Sabreliner, later sold as the Rockwell Sabreliner, is an American mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the United States Air Force (USAF) in response to its Utility Trainer Experimen ...
on an orientation flight lost hydraulics and overshot the runway on landing, subsequently going through a barrier and hitting an embankment. Both occupants were killed. * On October 8, 1996, a
Cessna 210 Centurion The Cessna 210 Centurion is a six-seat, high-performance, retractable-gear, single-engined, high-wing general-aviation light aircraft. First flown in January 1957, it was produced by Cessna until 1986. Development The early Cessna 210 (21 ...
crashed just north of the airport while attempting to land in heavy fog, killing the pilot. The plane struck a
utility pole A utility pole, commonly referred to as a transmission pole, telephone pole, telecommunication pole, power pole, hydro pole, telegraph pole, or telegraph post, is a column or post used to support overhead power lines and various other public util ...
and several trees before coming to a stop short of the runway, narrowly missing State Route 526 in the process. * On June 10, 2015, a
Beechcraft Bonanza The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. The six-seater, single-engined aircraft is still produced by Beechcraft and has been in continuous productio ...
crashed immediately after takeoff, going down in a wooded area south of the airport between the main runway and Mukilteo Speedway. Of the two occupants on the plane, one died at the scene while the other survived with bone fractures. * On May 2, 2017, a Piper PA-32-260 crashed immediately after takeoff south of the airport, striking a power line and several cars at the intersection of Harbour Pointe Boulevard and Mukilteo Speedway; the pilot reported losing power beforehand. Both the pilot and the sole passenger survived the crash uninjured; two people on the ground reported minor injuries. * On February 16, 2024, a C-152 impacted trees and crashed in Japanese Gulch, Mukilteo, near the north end of the field because of engine issues. The sole occupant, the pilot, was not injured.


See also

* List of airports in Washington *
Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport Airbus Hamburg-Finkenwerder, also known as Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport , is an aircraft manufacturing plant and associated private airport in the Finkenwerder quarter of southwest Hamburg, Germany. The airport is an integral part of the Airb ...
, the airport attached to the
Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...
assembly facility


References


External links


Paine Field website
(general aviation)
Paine Field Passenger Terminal website

Future of Flight Aviation Center website

MRD Mediated Role determination


-
National Postal Museum The National Postal Museum, located in Washington, D.C., is the primary postal museum of the United States. It covers large portions of the postal history of the United States and other countries. It was established through joint agreement be ...

Everett Public Library's Digital Collection/Northwest Room/Aviation

Boeing Major Production Facilities
- More information about the Boeing plant at Paine Field
Historic Flight Foundation
- Vintage Military Aircraft
Hangar 201 Project
- Hangar Space at Paine Field * * {{Authority control 1936 establishments in Washington (state) Airports in Snohomish County, Washington Mukilteo, Washington Buildings and structures in Everett, Washington Works Progress Administration in Washington (state) Transportation buildings and structures in Snohomish County, Washington Airports established in 1936