Backers of passenger service at a second Seattle airport say about one in five Sea-Tac travelers would use Everett's Paine Field.
While there's plenty of community opposition to adding some flights, it looks like a partial solution to limited capacity at Sea-Tac. The project needs to seen as a long-term fix for a region that seems incapable of siting a new, larger airport that could one day relieve Seattle's main airport.
Vancouver International has plenty of space to continue growing into Cascadia's dominant airport (it's already the only one expecting to handle the new A380 ). Sea-Tac could still grow as a function of the Seattle area's demand for additional nonstop connections. But extra capacity will need to be provided by Paine Field and improved train service to Vancouver and Portland.