Alaska Airlines is preparing a major expansion at Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE), reinforcing its position at the Everett airport with roughly 50% more capacity and a new nonstop connection to San Jose. The growth will give travelers across Snohomish County, North Seattle, and the wider Puget Sound region more opportunities to avoid the larger and often busier Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The expansion is scheduled to build through the fall and into summer 2027, with Alaska adding flights on several existing routes while restoring service to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). The airline’s strategy will significantly deepen its West Coast network from Everett, where it has become the sole scheduled commercial operator following Frontier Airlines’ departure.
The centerpiece of the expansion is the return of the Everett-San Jose route on April 14, 2027. Alaska will operate the service twice daily through its regional subsidiary, Horizon Air, using the Embraer E175. The route provides a direct connection between the northern Seattle metropolitan area and Silicon Valley, serving both business travelers and passengers visiting the San Francisco Bay Area.
Alaska Airlines Adds More Flights From Everett
San Jose is only part of Alaska’s capacity increase at Paine Field. The airline is also increasing frequencies and capacity on several established routes, giving passengers more flexibility throughout the day and strengthening Everett’s role within Alaska’s West Coast network.
Service from PAE to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will increase to twice daily with Boeing 737 aircraft. Flights to Portland International Airport (PDX) will also double from one to two daily services. Alaska is additionally adding capacity on its existing routes to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and San Diego International Airport (SAN).
Other destinations will continue without the announced frequency changes. Alaska will maintain service from Everett to Las Vegas, Orange County, and Phoenix-Sky Harbor, while seasonal flights to Honolulu and Palm Springs are scheduled to return. Taken together, the changes give Paine Field a broader combination of year-round and seasonal destinations.
Paine Field Becomes an Alaska Airlines Stronghold
Alaska’s expansion is particularly notable because the carrier already has an unusually strong position at Everett. Following Frontier Airlines’ exit from Paine Field in January, Alaska became the airport’s only scheduled commercial airline. Frontier had operated flights to Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas after launching its Everett operation only months earlier.
The situation effectively leaves Alaska with a monopoly among scheduled passenger airlines at Paine Field, although the airport itself remains part of a much larger regional aviation market dominated by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The additional flights therefore represent not only network growth but also a substantial strengthening of Alaska’s position at Everett.
Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said Paine Field is an important part of the carrier’s Puget Sound network because it provides a simpler and more convenient option for travelers in the surrounding communities. He highlighted the airline’s plan to add more seats, higher frequency, and greater convenience as the Everett operation expands.
Why Travelers Are Choosing Everett
Paine Field has developed a distinct role within the Seattle metropolitan area. Located in Everett, the airport is roughly 30 minutes from downtown Seattle, depending on traffic, and provides an alternative for travelers who do not want to use the much larger Seattle-Tacoma airport.
For residents of Snohomish County and North Seattle, the geographic advantage can be significant. A smaller terminal can also mean a different airport experience, with shorter security queues and less congestion than travelers may encounter at a major international hub.
Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics covering May 2025 through April 2026 illustrates how dominant Alaska already was at the airport. During that period, Alaska operated more than 94% of all flights at Paine Field, while Phoenix was the airport’s busiest route. Alaska and Frontier together carried more than 96,000 passengers between Everett and Phoenix during the period, while Las Vegas ranked as the second-most popular destination.
Alaska Strengthens Its West Coast Network
The capacity increase gives Alaska Airlines a larger footprint at an airport that has steadily attracted passengers seeking an alternative to Seattle-Tacoma. By adding San Jose and increasing service to Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego, the airline is concentrating additional capacity on markets that connect Everett with major population, business, and leisure centers along the West Coast.
Paine Field also sits next to the Boeing Everett Factory, adding another layer of significance to an airport already closely associated with the region’s aerospace industry. With Alaska now planning substantially more seats and frequencies, Everett is becoming an increasingly important component of the airline’s Puget Sound strategy rather than simply a secondary alternative to Seattle-Tacoma.
By spring 2027, travelers from the Everett area will therefore have more nonstop choices without having to make the trip to SEA for many West Coast journeys. For Alaska Airlines, the expansion further consolidates an already dominant position at Paine Field while giving the carrier additional capacity to capture demand from one of the fastest-growing areas around the Seattle metropolitan region.
