Seattle Paine Field International (KPAE), Washington
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Paine Field, identified as KPAE and serving Everett, Washington, sits roughly 21 nautical miles from the Seattle metro area and handles a mix of business aviation and manufacturing-related traffic tied to the adjacent Boeing facility. The airport is towered and offers onsite customs inspection along with a USDA compliance agreement, making it a practical option for international arrivals in the Pacific Northwest. Two paved runways, including a 6,000-foot primary strip, support a range of turbine and piston operations year-round.
Runways
Seattle Paine Field International has two paved runways. The longest, 16R/34L, is 6,000 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt and concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Seattle Paine Field International has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Seattle Paine Field International has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Seattle Paine Field International recorded 6,045 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in August. Business aviation traffic at KPAE builds through the spring and peaks in August, with roughly double the operations seen in the slower winter months of January and February.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month August, 712 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Seattle Paine Field International averages 0.4 days above 90°F in July and 8.3 freeze days in December. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 73.0°F, and December the coldest, at 44.6°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Seattle Paine Field International has published operating constraints in seven categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes, noise procedures, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Diverted flights are not available except in an emergency or with prior permission from Airport Operations.
Access to the Boeing ramp requires prior permission. Before taxiing to the Boeing ramp, contact Boeing Tower on 123.475.
For clearance delivery when the control tower is closed, contact Seattle Approach.
Closed from 0500 to 1500Z. Avoid intersection departures. Limited to helicopters weighing 8,000 pounds or less. Runup areas are located near F1, F5, G4, and the non-movement area west of G1.
Taxiway A-2 is restricted to aircraft weighing 30,000 pounds or less.
Taxiway K1 is closed to aircraft under 30,000 pounds.
When the control tower is closed, activate MALSR for Runway 16R and MALSF for Runway 34L; HIRL for Runway 16R/34L is controlled via CTAF. The PAPI for Runway 34L operates continuously.
The first 1,000 feet of Runway 16R is concrete.
Alert: Runway 16R/34L has converging traffic from base to final between 2100 and 0700.
Itinerant departures of small aircraft over 250 horsepower use Runway 34R.
Takeoff clearance for Runway 16R is for the full length; enter the runway via Taxiway A1 unless Taxiway AA is specified.
This is a noise-sensitive airport; noise abatement procedures are required unless directed otherwise by air traffic control. Itinerant arrivals and low approaches by small aircraft over 250 horsepower are authorized on Runways 16L and 34R. From 0500 to 1500Z and beyond, if wind and conditions permit, arrivals are on Runway 16R and departures are on Runway 34L. This governs noise abatement and traffic procedures.
Birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 710/F/A/X/T
100LL self-service fuel is available 24 hours a day with credit card at the control ramp. Helicopter self-service fuel is not available. After-hours service is not available.
When the control tower is closed, intersection departures are not available. Touch-and-go landings are not available from 0700 to 0900 Monday through Friday. A runup area is located at A4.
Avoid low-level overflight of the Boeing ramp at the northeast corner of the airport.
Training operations are not available after 2200 hours.
The area 1,200 feet south of the east edge of Taxiway A, Taxilane E from the southeast corner of the west hangars to Taxiway A, and Taxilane H from the northwest edge of the west hangars to Taxilane E, are not visible from the control tower.
Taxilane E is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of less than 171 feet. Aircraft with a wingspan of 171 feet or greater using Taxilane E require tug operations only. The east 500 feet of Taxilane E is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of less than 49 feet.
Taxiway C between the terminal ramp and the control ramp is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of 68 feet or less. Taxiways D, F, G, and L are restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of less than 49 feet. Taxiways A4, A5, K7, and B are restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of less than 118 feet. Taxilane H is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of less than 49 feet.
Transient helicopters should expect to land and take off from Taxiway B.
Airport conditions are unmonitored from 0000 to 0600.
Emergency frequency 121.5 is unmonitored by the control tower. Seattle TRACON monitors 121.5 for Everett Paine Field.
Large aircraft fly the west traffic pattern over water; small aircraft fly the east traffic pattern over the airport.
Caution: 80-foot light poles are located at the southwest edge of the Bravo ramp.
Medevac services are conducted from the FBO at the Bravo ramp.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Seattle Paine Field International has five airfields within 25 NM. The closest is Arlington Municipal (KAWO), 16.17 NM north.
Part of the Seattle area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KPAE
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KPAE.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What customs procedures apply at KPAE?
Paine Field maintains onsite CBP inspection services along with a USDA compliance agreement, according to the airport's published data. This allows international arrivals to clear customs directly at the field rather than diverting to another port of entry. Operators should note that Seattle Paine Field International supports this process as a towered, public-use airport with jet fuel available. Crews planning international legs should coordinate arrival details in advance given the airport's mixed traffic environment, which includes heavy manufacturing operations alongside general aviation.
What are the runway options at Seattle Paine Field International?
Seattle Paine Field International operates two paved runways. Runway 16R/34L is the primary strip at 6,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, surfaced in asphalt-concrete. Runway 16L/34R is shorter and narrower, at 3,004 feet by 75 feet, with an asphalt surface. The first 1,000 feet of Runway 16R is concrete, per airfield remarks. This pairing gives operators a longer runway for larger turbine aircraft and a secondary runway for lighter traffic.
Are there wingspan restrictions on taxiways at KPAE?
Yes, several taxiways at KPAE carry specific wingspan limits. Taxiway C between the terminal ramp and the control ramp is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of 68 feet or less. Taxiways D, F, G, and L are limited to wingspans under 49 feet, while Taxiways A4, A5, K7, and B allow wingspans up to just under 118 feet. Taxilane H is also restricted to under 49 feet. Dispatchers should confirm aircraft wingspan against these limits before planning ground routing at Paine Field.
What noise abatement procedures are in effect at Seattle Paine Field International?
Seattle Paine Field International is a noise-sensitive airport with noise abatement procedures required unless air traffic control directs otherwise. Itinerant arrivals and low approaches by small aircraft over 250 horsepower are authorized on Runways 16L and 34R. Between 0500 and 1500Z, if wind and traffic permit, arrivals are directed to Runway 16R with departures from Runway 34L. Large aircraft fly the pattern west over water, while small aircraft fly east over the airport itself. These procedures apply throughout the airport's operating hours.
How is business aviation traffic distributed through the year at KPAE?
Business aviation traffic at KPAE, as tracked by the FAA TFMSC for 2025, shows clear seasonal concentration. Monthly operations climb from around 340 in January to a peak of 712 in August, according to the traffic data. The slowest months fall in winter, with January and February both under 350 operations. Total annual business aviation operations at Paine Field reach 6,045, out of 23,076 total annual operations recorded for the field. Dispatchers planning summer trips into KPAE should expect a busier operational tempo than in winter months.