Alaska Airlines Adds New California Route From Paine Field

Alaska Airlines is significantly expanding its flight offerings from Paine Field (PAE), a general aviation airport located in Everett, Washington, north of Seattle. The airline plans to increase available seats from PAE by 50% through the spring of next year. This expansion will be achieved through a combination of introducing new routes, adding more flights on existing routes, and deploying larger aircraft. Andrew Harrison, Chief Commercial Officer for Alaska Airlines, stated that Paine Field is a crucial component of their Puget Sound network, providing customers with a more convenient access point to the airline's West Coast destinations. Alaska Airlines is currently the sole airline operating at Paine Field. Previously, Frontier Airlines had a brief presence in 2025, and United Airlines operated from 2019 to 2021.

The airline will reintroduce a route connecting Paine Field to San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California, commencing on April 14, 2027. Initially, this route will feature two daily flights operated by Embraer E175 aircraft, which have a seating capacity of 76 passengers. San José Mineta International Airport is situated in the heart of Silicon Valley and serves as the primary airport for the southern San Francisco Bay Area. According to schedule data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium, Alaska Airlines is the second-largest carrier at SJC, trailing only Southwest Airlines. Alaska Airlines previously operated the PAE-SJC route during 2019 and 2020.

In addition to the new San Jose route, Alaska Airlines will enhance service to four other West Coast destinations: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon, San Diego International Airport (SAN), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Starting next spring, the airline will add a second daily flight to both LAX and PDX from Paine Field. Furthermore, the flights on the PAE-LAX route will transition from the smaller Embraer E175 aircraft to the larger Boeing 737 jets. This shift to Boeing 737s represents an increase in capacity, with the E175 typically seating 76 passengers and the Boeing 737-700, for example, seating 128 passengers, indicating a substantial boost in available seats on this high-demand route. The expansion at Paine Field underscores Alaska Airlines' commitment to strengthening its regional network and providing more travel options for customers in the Puget Sound area. The airline's strategy involves leveraging Paine Field's capacity to offer competitive and convenient travel solutions, particularly for destinations along the West Coast.