Plans for regular Paine Field flights slow but moving

Published 10:19 pm Wednesday, August 26, 2009

EVERETT — Environmental studies regarding a new airline terminal building at Paine Field are under way, though two airlines hoping to provide passenger service there still have not reached an agreement with Snohomish County, the airport’s owner.

Horizon Air of Seattle and Allegiant Air of Las Vegas each would like to provide service at the airport, airline officials said, though it will be next year — or later — before flights could begin. The airlines first expressed interest last year.

Elected officials with the county, most of whom say they oppose regular commercial passenger flights at the airport, decided earlier this year to go ahead with construction of a $3 million terminal building, to be financed by the airlines. County Council members said this was the best way to maintain control over any air service at the airport, as opposed to allowing the airlines to design and build a terminal themselves.

First, though, federal law requires airline service to be studied in three areas — aircraft noise, air pollution and auto traffic — for their possible effects on the community, said Peter Camp, who oversees land use issues for the county.

Airlines could be required to pay for measures to counteract effects in these areas, Camp said, if the effects are not deemed so great as to prevent air service altogether.

The results of the study won’t be known until about October, followed by a public comment period, he said. In the end, more studies might be needed, depending on the findings.

“We expect the FAA will make a final determination in January,” Camp said.

He said the county had hoped to get deals done with the airlines while the studies were under way, but “it got horribly complex and difficult to write placeholders in the agreement, and the airlines weren’t terribly willing to write us a blank check,” Camp said. “We can’t agree with the airlines how much they’re going to pay until we know how much mitigation may be required after we do the environmental analysis.”

Consultants working for the county began their studies in June, he said, while negotiations between the county and the airlines have been on hold since about the beginning of July.

Horizon officials had originally planned to provide service by this past spring, but the process has proved slower than they hoped.

Dan Russo, a spokesman for Horizon, said it makes sense to finish the studies first. The airline still intends eventually to make four flights per day to Portland, Ore., and two to Spokane on 76-seat Bombardier Q400 high-speed turboprop planes, though there are no guarantees, Russo said.

“We continue to examine the business climate and everything else,” he said. “That will play a factor in our ultimate decision.”

Negotiations between the county and Allegiant Air, which notified the county of its interest in May 2008, before Horizon, have gone slower than with the Seattle airline. Allegiant remains interested, however, spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said Wednesday.

The airline’s original plan was to provide two to four flights per week to Las Vegas on MD-80-class aircraft and possibly more later to other West Coast cities.

“No change,” Squyres said.

Federal law requires any airport operator that receives federal aid to negotiate in good faith to provide space for an airline to provide passenger service if it requests to do so. The law does not, however, require the airport to pay for improvements associated with that service.

Snohomish County officials say the airlines will pay for providing service at Paine Field, not the county.

Those who oppose airline service at Paine Field argue that jet noise would degrade neighborhoods and property values. Most of this opposition has come from Mukilteo and south Snohomish County. City councils in Mukilteo, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Woodway have approved resolutions opposing scheduled flights.

Proponents of service say the convenience of avoiding trips to Sea-Tac Airport would be good for business and for leisure travelers as well. The Everett business community has led the call for service at Paine Field, with others chiming in.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.