The prospect of commercial airline service at a second Seattle airport came into focus this week, with a report outlining how Everett's Paine Field could support such service.
The potential addition of regional air service is the latest example of airport supply meeting growing demand for air travel around Cascadia. Vancouver International and several smaller airports in the Vancouver area are already expanding.
Businesses north of Seattle want commercial airline service to the Everett airport, which is far more convenient to the area than Sea-Tac. Combined with more frequent, faster trains between Vancouver and Portland, the extra air service could alleviate the need for a new Seattle-area airport in the future.
Airline flights at Everett are discouraged by a 1979 agreement with the neighboring communities. Some neighbors still say occasional airline service would be a disaster, causing school test scores to plummet, asthma, pregnancy complications, dropping property values, and an overall lower quality of live. The airport is mainly used by Boeing, which builds 747s and 767s there, Goodrich Aerospace and smaller private planes.