EVERETT — Propeller Airports, the privately owned company that runs the commercial air terminal at Paine Field, has purchased nearby Castle & Cooke Aviation, which provides fuel, hangar space and ramp support at the Snohomish County-owned airport.
Propeller Airports has formed a new subsidiary, Propeller Aero Services, which will operate the current Castle & Cooke business at Paine Field in Everett when the deal closes in a few weeks, the company said.
The new division will handle fueling, hangar space, catering and ramp support for the general aviation community and corporate aircraft, Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports said. Such facilities are called “fixed-base operators,” or FBOs, in the aviation business.
Smith said plans include building a new terminal and hangar complex.
“We’re really excited to continue to grow in a community that is our home,” Smith told The Daily Herald. “This particular project is especially important to me given that it’s Paine Field and it’s our home.”
Castle & Cooke Aviation at Paine Field is a subsidiary of Castle & Cooke Inc., which operates similar airport facilities in Van Nuys, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Propeller Airports is only acquiring the company’s Everett location.
“Our goal is to bring the same award-winning, world-class service and operational excellence to our private aviation clients that our airline passengers have come to expect,” Smith said. “This makes a tremendous amount of sense given our understanding of the airport and our home market.”
“This will generate economic development for Snohomish County and benefit the airport and its users,” Smith added. “As the region continues to grow, there is demand for additional infrastructure to serve the general aviation and corporate communities. ”
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Propeller clearly understands the needs of the area and is committed to providing a high level of service,” said Tony Marlow, president of Castle & Cooke Aviation.
Propeller intends to redevelop Castle & Cooke’s current facilities at Paine Field.
“FBOs are one of the most important pieces of an airport’s operations,” said Kristin Banfield, Paine Field spokeswoman. “Obviously this is a deal between two private parties. But from what we’ve seen of Propeller’s high-caliber operations, we can look forward to the operations that they will bring to that side of the business, our corporate and general aviation customers.”
The deal is expected to close on or before Nov. 30.
Propeller Airports invested some $40 million to develop the two-gate passenger terminal at Paine Field, which opened in March 2019. The terminal is currently served by Alaska Airlines subsidiary Horizon Air.
Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: @JanicePods
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