Viewpoints: A ‘30,000-foot view’ of Paine Field

By Juergen Kneifel

For The Herald

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

This is one of the lessons I cover with students in my business courses at Everett Community College. You also get only one opportunity to participate in a first flight or an inaugural event, like the opening of a new commercial terminal.

I felt very lucky to have landed a ticket to Las Vegas on the first commercial flight out of Paine Field in Everett. So the opening of Paine Field (PAE) was an exciting event in my mind, while many of my neighbors in Picnic Point, south of Paine Field, were nervous and upset.

When I arrived for my flight, it was clear that Propeller Airports, the firm with the contract to operate Paine Field’s commercial operations, had made every effort to build a modern, highly functional facility with all of the creature comforts that travelers demand.

The only thing missing was a Starbucks. Several guests noticed and made mention. Otherwise, the planned parking, check-in kiosks and counters along with the Transportation Security Administration and lounge area were spectacular. Impressive, once again.

The flight itself on a cloudless, chilly morning was nothing short of breathtaking.

And yet there is controversy. Although the epic battle over granting commercial flights to operate has ended, there are people with serious concerns.

Many of my neighbors, along with others in Mukilteo and Edmonds, lament a battle lost, convinced that there will be more traffic, more noise, pollution and other undesirable activity that followed the rapid growth of SeaTac Airport.

I think SeaTac and PAE are different in so many respects that it may be too early to cry foul. My wife and a few other neighbors gathered outside to see the take off and monitor the noise. Surprisingly, my wife reported that they almost missed seeing the plane.

The flight pattern for this initial flight carried us south over the I-5 corridor and then over the east side of Lake Washington. By the time we were over homes, it seemed that we had gained sufficient elevation to mitigate noise.

Another concern is the impacts on traffic. But since Paine is limited in the number of flights based on a Federal Aviation Administration report and environmental impact study, any additional growth or expansion will have to meet criteria established by the FAA and other regulatory agencies.

Increasing the number of flights out of SeaTac doesn’t seem like an option. On my recent inbound flights to SeaTac (one from Medford, the other from Missoula) there were delays coming and going because of heavy air-traffic volumes. We were boarded and sent to taxi with plenty of time to meet the respective departure times.

In both cases, pilots were instructed by SeaTac air traffic control to hold for clearance to take off. The reason: heavy inbound traffic. We sat waiting for 45 minutes in Missoula, and in Medford we experienced a 30-minute delay. These SeaTac-imposed take-off delays are quite common for shorter inbound air traffic. This won’t be the case for PAE anytime soon.

Many would agree that SeaTac is not an ideal choice for those who live north of Seattle, especially for business travelers. Even with the benefit of technology that creates opportunity for meetings via video but there are times when meetings need to happen face-to-face.

Business traveler Rob Brooks of Shoreline makes a monthly trip to Los Angeles for a one-day meeting. Rob noted that he needs to be in the room with his peers and feels he would lose a lot by doing business remotely. When asked about the potential to use Paine Field instead of SeaTac, his response: “Absolutely!”

Of the many benefits to the Paine alternative, I believe ease of access, choice, convenience and time savings top the list. I hope a few additional routes are added to the mix. With the case for both United Airlines (hubs in San Francisco and Denver) and Alaska Airlines, which has hubs at all of its destinations, connecting flights will provide access to Europe, Asia and beyond.

More notable are the economic benefits to the region which includes jobs in transportation, supporting the PAE operations, tourism, hospitality, entertainment and commerce. Paine has certainly made that great first impression!

Juergen Kneifel is a senior associate faculty member at Everett Community College and teaches courses in business and economics. Email him at jkneifel@everettcc.edu.