Passenger flights at Everett's Paine Field resumes this weekend

EVERETT, Wash. - Passenger flights resumed on Saturday after a months-long hiatus due to planned airport maintenance and drop in flight numbers from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport, starting August 1st will offer one daily flight on United Airlines to its Denver hub and two daily flights on Alaska Airlines, one each to Las Vegas and Phoenix.

The aiport also said they have largely increased cleaning proceedures throughout the airport to accomodated for health and safety concerns around the virus.

"Obviously we've upped our cleaning game substantially. Now, instead of doing it like every half an hour, we're constantly doing it in all the high-touch areas," said Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports, which operates the terminal through a public-private partnership with Snohomish County.

Smith said the aiport has also upgraded their HVAC filter system to use hepa filters similar to ones used in hospitals. Airport staff will also conduct passenger temperature checks, require facemasks, an no non-passengers will allowed to enter the building, with the exception of staff and employees.

"It's not that we don't want you to greet your family, it's just that we want to make sure everybody is safe. Not only the passenger, but everybody that works here," said Smith.

The airport closed for two months as crews worked on airport pavement replacements. Prior to the work, airlines served 11 destinations and 24 departures, 24 arrives a day.

More than one million people flew through Paine Field during its first year of commercial passenger service.

Paine Field began commercial service in 2019 as a travel alternative to SEA Airport in SeaTac for people who live on the north end of Puget Sound.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.