Washington Business Summer 2019 | Washington Business | Page 35

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A few people talked to agents at the Alaska and United counters.
Music was playing, softly. No yelling, no announcements. The security
line was empty, except for the federal employees, and the gate was
just around the corner. That’s it. The commute was done.
A few people walked by, laughing. Otherwise, it was just me and a
beautiful polished concrete floor.
And Luciano. Mr. De Luca is the chief concierge at Paine Field’s
Passenger Terminal. He has a desk, jellybeans and chairs for guests,
right by the front doors. He asked how he could help.
I was there to meet Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports. Smith is
leading a new concept for American air travel, as his company reports:
Paine Field’s terminal is privately financed, designed and built. It
operates under a partnership between Propeller and Snohomish
County, and marks the return of commercial air service to Paine
Field, which was built by the federal Works Progress Administration
in 1936 during FDR’s New Deal program.
The $40 million terminal opened in March and now handles
24 flights a day to nine Western U.S. locations. It’s one of the most
proactive investments in transportation infrastructure in decades,
not just in Washington, but throughout the country. And it’s a great
example of what can be built when private investors and public
partners work together to accomplish ambitious projects that benefit
the entire region.
“What we’ve done with Snohomish County is a model that can
be replicated nationwide and can bring tremendous benefits to
local economies without burdening taxpayers,” Smith said in a
news release earlier this year. “We’ve built an airport for the future
by bringing back some of the glamour and service of the past, with
tailored concessions, design and maintenance, and a higher level of
convenience for local passengers.”
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