Alaska Airlines adding two nonstop flights between Everett, Spokane

Alaska Airlines is launching new nonstop service between Everett and Spokane beginning Sept. 8.

The Seattle-based carrier announced Thursday it will operate two daily direct routes between the cities, with a flight departing from Spokane International Airport at 8 a.m. and arriving at Paine Field at 9:15 a.m. A second flight will depart from Spokane at 8:15 p.m. and arrive in Everett at 9:30 p.m.

Two daily returning flights will depart from Paine Field at 7 a.m. and 6:55 p.m., .

Alaska Airlines initially began service with a daily flight between Paine Field and the Spokane airport in 2019, but service was cut last year because of the pandemic.

The airline plans to resume its full schedule of 18 daily nonstop flights from Paine Field by spring 2022 because of “increasing confidence that air travel is on a steady climb to return to pre-pandemic levels in the coming year,” according to a company release.

Spokane International Airport is served by seven commercial airlines and offers nonstop routes to 20 destinations.

On Thursday, American Airlines launched a new seasonal nonstop route from Spokane to Chicago. Southwest will operate two daily direct flights from Spokane to Chicago Midway International Airport and John Wayne Orange County, beginning Sunday.