Published: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Paine Field
Airport thriving as aviation center
In her column in the Sunday Herald, Julie Muhlstein lamented that travelers can fly to a variety of destinations from Bellingham but not from Paine Field. She commented that Bellingham's "rapidly growing airport" creates jobs. Unfortunately, in her one-sided analysis she forgot to mention that America's aviation industry builds airplanes at Paine Field but not at the Bellingham airport.
Paine Field is an airport of national significance. The diverse array of aviation technology companies housed at Paine Field creates hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs for every job created by the Bellingham airport. Furthermore, the jobs created at Paine Field pay far more on average than the jobs created in Bellingham.
No one with a lick of common sense would endanger the vital aviation industry housed at Paine Field to secure the meager advantages enjoyed by the Bellingham airport.
Muhlstein also noted that Snohomish County travelers can reach Bellingham in an hour. From there they can fly to Las Vegas; Phoenix-Mesa, Oakland, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Seattle, and (soon) Denver and Portland. Sea-Tac is also a mere one-hour drive from my home in Mukilteo at most times of the day or night. I know: I have been driving it for 10 years.
It would be folly to diminish the advantages our aviation industry enjoys at Paine Field for the meager advantages enjoyed by the Bellingham airport.
Tony Tinsley
Mukilteo
Paine Field is an airport of national significance. The diverse array of aviation technology companies housed at Paine Field creates hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs for every job created by the Bellingham airport. Furthermore, the jobs created at Paine Field pay far more on average than the jobs created in Bellingham.
No one with a lick of common sense would endanger the vital aviation industry housed at Paine Field to secure the meager advantages enjoyed by the Bellingham airport.
Muhlstein also noted that Snohomish County travelers can reach Bellingham in an hour. From there they can fly to Las Vegas; Phoenix-Mesa, Oakland, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Seattle, and (soon) Denver and Portland. Sea-Tac is also a mere one-hour drive from my home in Mukilteo at most times of the day or night. I know: I have been driving it for 10 years.
It would be folly to diminish the advantages our aviation industry enjoys at Paine Field for the meager advantages enjoyed by the Bellingham airport.
Tony Tinsley
Mukilteo
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