United Airlines has become the second — and for now, final — airline to start selling tickets for commercial flights next year from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., north of Seattle.
On Monday, United announced its schedule for nonstop service between the new commercial aviation terminal and the airline’s hubs in Denver and San Francisco. Starting March 31, 2019, United will operate six daily flights, two between Denver and Everett, and four between San Francisco and Everett, subject to final government approval.
Earlier this month, Alaska Airlines announced its schedule of 18 daily nonstop flights from Paine Field to eight cities, beginning on Feb. 11, 2019, and fully phasing in over the following weeks. Alaska’s destinations from Paine Field include Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County in California, Phoenix, Portland in Oregon, San Diego, and San Jose. Both United and Alaska will serve San Francisco, providing more options for travelers between the two major tech hubs.
Like Alaska Airlines, all United flights serving Paine Field (airport code PAE) are expected to be on Embraer 175 jets.
Paine Field is perhaps best known for its relationship to Boeing and its adjacent airplane assembly facilities. But the growth of the Seattle area with an increased demand for flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to the south of the city, as well as nationally notorious traffic congestion, led to the push to add commercial airline service at Everett inside of Snohomish County north of Seattle.
Originally, Southwest Airlines had also planned to fly from Paine Field. But concurrent with Alaska Airlines’ flight schedule announcement, Southwest said it had given up its plans due to “business considerations” and instead transferred those Paine Field gate times to Alaska.
“We are excited to offer our Seattle and Northwest Washington area travelers new opportunities to easily access our hubs in Denver and San Francisco,” said Ankit Gupta, United’s vice president of domestic network planning, in Monday’s statement. “With United’s six daily flights from Paine Field beginning this spring, our new service will conveniently connect customers from the Northern Seattle, Snohomish and Northern King County areas to the world’s largest business and leisure destinations with just one stop.”
In its announcement, United also pointed out this, too, is a return for it to Paine Field, where it says it operated the first commercial flight — in 1939.
