Report: FAA reopens study on commercial flights at Paine Field
Jun 1, 2018, 8:52 AM
A jet flies over Mukilteo on its descent into Paine Field. (MyNorthwest)
(MyNorthwest)
The Federal Aviation Administration could delay the start of commercial airline service out of Paine Field in Everett, reports the Everett Herald.
Service was expected to begin this fall with the completion of a passenger terminal, but the FAA announced Thursday it was reopening a supplemental environmental assessment because of the 24 flights per day planned for the terminal. Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines were signed on to add flights out of Everett before the end of the 2018.
The 2012 assessment only included 12 flights per day, the Herald reports. Since then, interest has intensified and the additional 12 flights has prompted the FAA to take another look. An FAA spokesperson told the Herald supplemental environmental assessments typically take six to 18 months, but it’s unclear if this is a typical situation.
Scott North, Paine Field spokesman, told the Herald that passenger service “will begin when the FAA completes its regulatory process. If the FAA approves it, we expect operations to begin late in 2018.”
