Alaska Airlines Boosts Paine Field Capacity with New San José Route
Alaska Airlines has announced plans to expand its services from Paine Field (PAE), located in Everett, Washington, starting April 14, 2027. The airline will introduce daily flights between PAE and San José (SJC) using Embraer E175 jets.
In addition to the new route, Alaska Airlines will also add second daily flights to Los Angeles (LAX) and Portland (PDX), and upgrade routes to larger Boeing 737s. This increase in seat capacity per flight is expected to be at least 63% higher than before.
The expansion of services at PAE is seen as a strategic move by Alaska Airlines to offset the physical constraints of its main hub, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which has limited terminal growth until the 2030s. The airline's exclusive use of PAE gives it an advantage over Delta Air Lines, which lacks service at this airport and holds only half of Alaska's SEA capacity.
The increased competition is expected to pressure Delta to adjust its pricing or service on overlapping routes to retain market share.