Another West Coast destination could be on the horizon for Cherry Capital Airport: the Emerald City of Seattle.

On the heels of a federal grant award aimed at securing direct air service from TVC to Los Angeles and/or San Francisco, airport officials also spoke this month with representatives of Alaska Airlines about flight service between Traverse City and Seatlle, Wash,  where the airline is headquartered.

Airport CEO Kevin Klein and the airport’s marketing staff had a Zoom call with Alaska Airlines officials on Oct. 5. Klein says the airline has noted an upward trend in “code sharing” activity linked with Seattle through American Airlines flights that connect to Traverse City through Chicago. Code sharing is a business arrangement between airlines where multiple carriers market and sell flights under their own airline designator codes and flight numbers.

“(Seattle is) a Top 10 market for us that’s currently connecting through different hubs,” Klein says. “It would also bring another strong carrier to us.”

Klein says an Alaska Airlines connection to Seatle would also enhance local flight options to destinations across Asia, and to Hawaii through Alaska Airlines acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines two years ago.

The airport is pursuing grant dollars for the service, but Klein noted that new air service agreements can take years to come together – especially with airlines currently facing an uncertain economic climate and high fuel costs.

“These types of things take time and cultivation – the industry is a little more cautious right now” Klein says. “But they wanted to reach out to us, so that’s a good sign.”

Airport officials took another step toward West Coast air service when the Northwest Regional Airport Authority Board this week approved a $750,000 federal air service grant to establish seasonal air service from Traverse City to either Los Angeles or San Francisco through United Airlines. The Ticker first reported the grant award Sept. 24

The federal grant dollars help underwrite start-up expenses for airlines that set up new flight services for smaller communities.
As part of the grant agreement, Traverse City Tourism pledged $100,000 to help market the service, while Traverse Connect will put up $10,000. Klein says the airport will also contribute up to $100,000 from its operating budget to support the flights.

No timeline for the service has been announced, but the grant extends for a 3-year window.