Do You Want To Pay The Cost of Commercial Flights?
You may have seen some recent media coverage of Paine Field and comments made by Propeller CEO Brett Smith who continues to minimize concerns regarding the scheduled service.
The main concern is that commercial service will come with impacts that will grow over time unless there are limits. Remember, the FAA allows rates that cover ALL direct AND indirect costs.
We understand that Mr. Smith, his investors and prospective airlines would rather minimize the impact issues, essentially ignoring legitimate concerns about how scheduled service over time would change the quality of life, transportation, noise, and air quality around our schools, all while decreasing tax revenues from lower home values.
Mr. Smith has stated he wants to be a good neighbor and community partner. He can start by limiting scheduled service activity under his lease terms and agreeing to mitigate all reasonably determined impacts. Perhaps he will seriously consider doing so but we are not holding our breath.
We must pursue ensuring that all costs to the public are covered, in every way we can (remember, if they don’t pay, you do!). Propeller and any airline they partner with should have no question in their minds about surrounding communities’ commitment to follow through and ensure there are no free passes.
