Paine Field’s new director ‘still in listening mode’

EVERETT — No two airports are exactly alike, but Paine Field’s new director says he’s never seen one quite like the Snohomish County airport.

Arif Ghouse has worked at major airports serving London, Houston and Seattle, but none serve as many distinct groups as Paine Field.

The airport’s users and tenants include flight schools, manufacturers, museums, private flyers, schools and maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.

“I’ve been here two months, so I’m still in the listening mode,” Ghouse said in his lilting British accent.

The 49-year-old was born in Hyderabad, India. His family moved to the United Kingdom when he was 3, and he lived there until he moved to the U.S. at 29.

“My job is to understand everybody’s interests,” he said.

That means learning about manufacturing and general aviation, two things he has little experience with.

This fall, Snohomish County Executive John Lovick and two County Councilmen — Dave Somers and Brian Sullivan — picked Ghouse to succeed Paine Field’s longtime director, Dave Waggoner. The County Council is expected to approve Ghouse’s selection this month.

Ghouse came here from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

He was drawn to Paine Field, in part, by its reputation in the industry, he said. “People always want to be associated with success.”

“I have inherited a very well-run” airport with “a great staff,” he said.

Paine Field has about 50 employees and a $19 million budget. It has rapidly grown in recent decades, and more growth is on the horizon.

The airport’s biggest user — the Boeing Co. — has substantially increased and expanded production at its adjacent Everett factory in the past 20 years. To support the 787 Dreamliner assembly lines, Boeing and the airport collaborated on building facilities to support Atlas Air’s Dreamlifters — the over-sized 747 cargo planes that deliver 787 wing and fuselage sections.

Boeing is growing again. In 2014, it broke ground on new buildings for the new 777X jetliner.

Several workforce training programs also call the airport home. Four aerospace museums operate facilities, including the Future of Flight &Boeing Tour, which draws more than 250,000 visitors a year.

Another tenant, Aviation Technical Services, is the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul shop on the West Coast and the second-largest aerospace employer in Washington.

There is one thing that Paine Field does not have — commercial passenger service. But that could change.

A New York-based airport developer, Propeller Investments, approached Snohomish County in 2014 about building a passenger terminal.

“Those negotiations are still going,” Ghouse said.

Airport officials and Propeller Investments are trying to reach an agreement that can be brought to the county executive and council members, he said. “Our job is pretty much to stay objective and be neutral.”

Any proposal by Propeller has to be based on an earlier analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration, which considered a small terminal of about 25,000-square-feet.

Passenger air service at Paine Field has been a source of controversy, drawing opposition and a court challenge from the cities of Mukilteo and Edmonds and some nearby residents.

While talks between the county and Propeller have been ongoing for several months, there are more hurdles that commercial air service has to clear.

First, airport officials and Propeller have to agree on a proposal, which would then go to the Snohomish County Council for consideration. If the county approves it, a lawsuit brought by Mukilteo and other opponents would move ahead in federal court.

Depending on the outcome, the proposal could proceed based on environmental analysis already done by the FAA, or the court would order further analysis, which could further delay or even derail passenger air service.

“At the end of the day, we are going to have some happy and unhappy people,” Ghouse said. “We will have to live with any decisions as neighbors.”

As a manager, he said, he puts importance on being fair and transparent. “Even if I have to say no to someone, I want them to walk away respecting my decision.”

At Paine Field, one of his highest priorities is keeping the airport financially sound, he said.

There are some significant challenges and opportunities coming.

The airport plans to resurface and reopen its third runway, 11-29, where Boeing currently has several early production 787 Dreamliners parked. The plans are “pretty firm,” and work could start as soon as this year, Ghouse said.

Lighting needs to be upgraded on the airport’s biggest runway, 16R-34L, he said.

Together, those projects could cost $6 million to $7 million and will allow airplanes to take off and land in weather conditions that can be tricky now.

Paine Field also has more than 80 acres of land on its west side that could be developed for industrial uses.

Aerospace and manufacturing boosters had hoped the site would be home to a center for research of composite materials. But critical federal funding — a $70 million grant — likely won’t materialize, according to people familiar with the grant application.

The land could still be used for manufacturing, Ghouse said. The important thing is that any development “makes good business sense.”

Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.

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