Thank you to those who joined us earlier today for the Snohomish County Update at Boeing Future of Flight. I also want to thank Economic Alliance Snohomish County for putting on the event, and our distinguished panelists: Liat Carlyle, Senior Analyst with Earth Finance; Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports; and Dow Constantine, CEO of Sound Transit. I enjoyed our discussion about the opportunities and challenges facing Snohomish County and our look forward to a promising future for economic development, commercial aviation, regional transportation, and sustainable fuels.
During the event, I signed an Executive Order focused on advancing efforts for future commercial service expansion at Paine Field Airport.
The order mobilizes a cross-departmental, multi-partner strategy to ensure Snohomish County is taking thoughtful and coordinated next steps for the future of Paine Field Airport.
Relevant county departments will move forward with work related to expanding operations at Paine Field’s commercial terminal, including coordination, studies and analysis, environmental review, capital planning, budgeting, intergovernmental relations, public and private partnerships, and community engagement.
While this order is new, the planning and framework it is based on already have been vetted. In 2024, Snohomish County adopted an in-depth Master Plan for the airport that looks ahead to 2040. That planning involved extensive forecasting, analysis, partner and public input, and review to develop a roadmap for the airport’s future. This executive order kicks off the work that will turn that plan into a reality.
This is an exciting time for Paine Field. We are looking to the future. Passenger service here had a successful launch in 2019 but faced challenges – like so many other airports – during the pandemic. We are coming back strong. The approximately 4 million passengers we’re forecasting in the next 10 to 15 years is in line with what we’ve anticipated for Paine Field Airport since the start of commercial service.
Paine Field Airport is part of a much bigger picture for air travel. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has projected annual passenger volumes of more than 60 million travelers at SeaTac within the next 10 years. Regional demand for commercial air travel will exceed that airport’s capacity.
Paine Field is not going to be another SeaTac – in comparison to 60 million passengers, we are looking at about 4 million on a similar timeline. That is significant but manageable growth for our county airport, bringing economic opportunity while easing the regional pressure on air travel.
With the growth of commercial service at Paine Field, we also can look forward to more convenient and flexible travel for the residents and businesses of Snohomish County. I think having more flights and destinations we can get to from our local airport is a win for our community.
We know that any growth comes with impacts. That’s why this order is important. We need a coordinated, well-managed approach to meeting the needs of the airport, airlines, and travelers while also meeting the needs of the community around Paine Field. We are committed to making this a success.
As the most economically impactful airport in the state, our county has an incredible asset in Paine Field. By starting work now and taking a thoughtful and collaborative approach to expanding commercial operations, we can create jobs, grow small business opportunities, improve travel options, prioritize sustainability, and better connect our region.
You can watch the County Update online here.
