Heraldnet.com
SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 9:31 pm
LocalNorthwestNation & WorldPoliticsSpecial ReportsPhotosColumnistsMultimedia 
Herald Editorial Board

Bob Bolerjack,
Opinion Editor
bolerjack@heraldnet.com

Carol MacPherson,
Editorial Writer
cmacpherson@
heraldnet.com


Allen Funk,
Herald Publisher
funk@heraldnet.com

Kim Heltne,
Assistant to the Publisher
heltne@heraldnet.com

Send letters to the editor by e-mail to letters@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-339-3458 or mail to The Herald - Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

 
WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday
Armed man shot by deputies in Arlington
Police ID make of vehicle in fatal hit-and-run
Boeing's 6-month tally: 1 net order
Thursday


One fire rips through $2 million home, another ...
Swine flu claims 2nd victim in Snohomish County
Jetty Island firefight continues; hot weather ...
Wednesday


Fire District 1 negotiates to take over service...
Snohomish County population rising fast since 2...
Honey's owners indicted by feds
Tuesday


Mobile home tenants along Snohomish River told ...
Lincoln to leave Everett in 2013
Put on your sailor's cap and explore Naval Stat...
Monday


Disabled people will be left without a ride
You'll soon have 4,500 reasons to trade in that...
Pay hike deserved, Monroe chief says
Sunday


1,670 local students in county are without homes
Monroe's business gets done in secret
$9 million to be sought for U.S. 2 in federal t...
Saturday


Use of local parks spikes
Gay-friendly shift at 2 churches
Racist graffiti scrawled on cars in Everett nei...
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Editorials   Print This Article  Email This Page  Subscribe Now! facebook digg reddit del.icio.us fark stumble

 
ADVERTISEMENT

 
HAVE YOUR SAY
Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor.
You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another.
Send it to:
E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com
Mail: Letters section
The Herald
P.O. Box 930
Everett, WA 98206
Fax: 425-339-3458
Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).
 
Published: Friday, October 3, 2008

IN OUR VIEW

Horizon offers exciting future at Paine Field

Horizon Air's announcement Thursday that it wants to offer daily flights from Paine Field to Portland and Spokane is a game-changing development, one that could finally bring limited passenger service to Snohomish County.

With it will come long-sought convenience for local business and leisure travelers, a boost for county tourism and a new draw for employers thinking of locating here.

A future that includes some passenger service at Paine Field was all but assured last spring, when the Federal Aviation Administration told county officials that federal funding for the airport requires them to negotiate with interested airlines in good faith. Failure to do so could result in the loss of FAA money for airport improvements, which would put Boeing and other aerospace businesses in the area -- the very foundation of the local economy -- at unacceptable risk.

Opponents of passenger service at Snohomish County's airport, whose views are deeply held, should take heart in Horizon's pledge to use some of the quietest commercial airplanes in service today. Horizon says the 76-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprops it would use here are already successful at city center airports with strict noise limitations. The planes also produce 30 percent fewer emissions than similar-size jets, the Seattle-based airline says.

Horizon's final decision regarding Paine Field flights will depend on overall cost-effectiveness, company vice president Dan Russo said, suggesting it will be looking for the county or someone else to foot most or all of the costs for needed infrastructure -- a passenger terminal, security screening, baggage handling and boarding equipment. That's a potentially tall order for the county, given the budget shortfall it faces. But other investors, from the private sector or even municipalities that support air service, could play a role by putting up money that could be repaid over time through airline, passenger and parking fees.

Horizon would bring a welcome alternative to long drives to Portland and Spokane; same-day, round-trip service for business travelers that economic-development officials have long sought; and a jumping-off point for local vacation travelers who can connect through Portland to other destinations. It would also offer a new and easy way for tourists to visit Snohomish County and pump new dollars into the economy.

Traffic congestion between Snohomish County and Sea-Tac Airport, along with the county's recent and projected growth, have created a market for passenger service at Paine Field. That, combined with the FAA's non-discrimination rules, made such flights inevitable. County officials should resolve to work constructively with Horizon as a new, locally-based partner.

READER COMMENTS
Be the first to comment.
You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet.

To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click hereLog out

1. Snohomish County man dies of swine flu
2. Lynnwood bank reprimanded by government
3. Police ID make of vehicle in fatal hit-and-run
4. Armed man shot by deputies in Arlington
5. IRS joins puppy mill investigation
6. Jetty Island ready for sand castles
7. Boeing's 6-month tally: 1 net order
8. Warriors & Patriots: Many American Indians served before getting full citizenship rights
9. Movin' out
10. Marshals seize swindler's home
Enterprise Newspaper Snohomish County Business Journal
Warriors looking for balance
Three Scots vying for QB slot
Jackson looks for another title
Decorated veteran continues to serve as active volunteer
City Council reviewing sign regulations
Wildcats get a peek at newcomers
Lynnwood still in rebuilding mode
Shoreline feels a kindergarten growth spurt
Leave the patriotic pyrotechnics to professionals, cities urge
The Enterprise Online Newspaper

TODAY'S TOP JOBS
 View All Top Jobs 
Top Cars
Top Homes


ADVERTISEMENT