Alaska also plans to increase service between Paine Field and Los Angeles to twice daily. Both flights will use larger Boeing 737 aircraft.
Travelers flying out of Paine Field will have more options starting this fall as Alaska Airlines prepares to increase its seat capacity at the Everett airport by 50%.
The airline is gearing up to add more daily flights, a new destination and bigger planes, which will enable Paine Field Airport to offer even more service than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'm really excited because it means more people are going to get to experience what we've created at Paine Field," said Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports, which operates Paine Field.
The expansion will roll out in phases starting this fall through summer 2027 and will include a new nonstop route to San Jose, California, along with additional service to several West Coast destinations.
The new San Jose route is scheduled to begin in spring 2027, with Horizon Air operating two flights a day between Paine Field and San Jose.
"I look forward to it! I heard they're adding more; I wish they'd add more and more," said Melissa Johnson while traveling. "All my family is in California."
Alaska also plans to increase service between Paine Field and Los Angeles to twice daily. Both flights will use larger Boeing 737 aircraft.
Service to Portland will increase to two flights a day, while the airline plans to add seats on its existing San Diego and San Francisco routes.
"Having two or three flights a day to these locations just makes people have more choice and makes it more comfortable," Smith explained.
Alaska said the additional flights and larger aircraft are expected to increase its overall seat capacity at Paine Field by 50% beginning this fall and continuing through summer 2027.
The airline said the expansion is aimed in part at providing additional travel options for people in Snohomish County and North Seattle who want to use Paine Field instead of traveling farther south for a flight.
"I love it. With all the traffic down in Seattle, this is just so convenient; it's really nice," said Kelly Malone.
Malone lives on Whidbey Island and said it takes his family at least twice as long to get to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as it does to get to Paine Field.
Airport leadership said Alaska's expansion signals a large first step toward reaching Snohomish County's goal of increasing from three to 12 gates at Paine Field over the next decade. Smith confirmed his team is also looking at adding more airlines to its service as part of a broader expansion plan.
"I think in the next couple of years, you're going to see gates added and additional parking options and more food options," Smith said.
Airport Director Joshua Marcy said in a statement that this expansion effort will make traveling from Paine Field more convenient than ever before.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers echoed that same sentiment and praised the airport's partnership with Propeller Airports and Alaska Airlines.
“Snohomish County’s Paine Field Airport continues to be the premier experience for travelers, making travel less stressful, more enjoyable and more convenient for anyone who is ready to avoid the trip and traffic to Sea-Tac,” he wrote.
Alaska's service expansion will not require any physical construction at Paine Field, airport officials confirmed.
