SeaPort Air to Speed Up Seattle to Portland Travel

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airline fees and hassles getting you down? Ready for a fast and convenient travel option between Seattle and Portland? SeaPort Air is here, scaled and designed to meet the needs of the 186-mile trip between Seattle and Portland. A group of Portland investors announce this new scheduled air service which begins June 30, 2008 and gets travelers from downtown to downtown in 90 minutes, cutting three hours roundtrip over driving I-5 or flying the big airlines.

“We’re convinced that once people experience our service, they will never go back to the alternatives. Who wants to spend three more hours traveling than they have to?”

In Seattle, SeaPort Air will operate out of King County Municipal Airport, also known as Boeing Field, just south of downtown, and out of its own terminal adjacent to Flightcraft at Portland International Airport. Both sites avoid the congestion and delays associated with TSA check-points and the remoteness of Sea-Tac airport. SeaPort Air also offers the ability to arrive 15 minutes before your flight, on-site parking and an alternative to the congestion and delays of Sea-Tac airport.

“As frequent travelers between Portland and Seattle know, there’s no good way to get between the two cities — until now,” says Kent Craford, CEO of SeaPort Air Group. “Sea-Tac is so far from Seattle, it’s its own city,” adds Craford.

SeaPort Air will initiate weekday service June 30 with a total of 16 one-way flights, leaving every 45 minutes during peak times—morning and late afternoon. Weekend service will also be available, with a shortened schedule. Flights will cost $149 round trip during the month of July as an introductory fare plus applicable fees and taxes.

“Flying SeaPort Air will make our attorneys more productive, allowing them to bypass parking and security lines,” said Lewis Horowitz, president of law firm Lane Powell. “When you’re in the business of providing service to clients, every minute is precious.”

“Whether you’re traveling on business, heading to a Mariners game or visiting Portland for tax-free shopping, SeaPort Air offers the fastest and most convenient way to get between the Northwest’s two largest cities,” says Craford. “We’re convinced that once people experience our service, they will never go back to the alternatives. Who wants to spend three more hours traveling than they have to?”

SeaPort Airlines will operate Swiss-built Pilatus PC-12s, a pressurized, fast and comfortable turbo-prop aircraft. SeaPort Airlines is a dba of Alaska Juneau Aeronautics, an FAA Part 135 Certified scheduled air service with 25 years’ experience in commercial aviation. Alaska Juneau Aeronautics and SeaPort Air’s sister airline, Wings of Alaska, are wholly-owned subsidiaries of SeaPort Air Group, LLC, a Portland-based company founded by Portland investors John Beardsley, Tom Carrollo and Kent Craford.

Wings of Alaska operates daily scheduled service between Juneau, Alaska and four outlying communities. Information can be found at www.wingsofalaska.com. For reservations or more details about SeaPort Airlines, visit www.SeaPortAir.com or call 888-573-2767.