Alaska Airlines has some new gates at Portland International Airport (PDX). Located in Concourse B, the redeveloped space will mainly host operations from the airline’s regional arm under Horizon Air. A total of ten gates offer a more modernized experience and is part of a broader redevelopment project at PDX that will offer significant improvements to the passenger journey.
Alaska’s new space in Concourse B
Alaska Airlines has officially inaugurated operations from PDX’s new Concourse B. The new space is a larger modernized space compared to the older Concourse A that the facility is replacing. There are several key parts of this new space that has Alaska excited about offering flights from here.
The first is that the new space is a lot airier and brighter. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a high ceiling, Alaska’s customers will notice a difference from the older, darker, and cramped Concourse A facility they were used to in Portland. The new facility boasts over 8,900 square feet of south-facing windows designed to bring in more natural light.
For avgeeks, this also means more opportunities to see planes arrive and depart. Rounding out the bright feeling of the concourse includes art installations by RYAN! Feddersen, plants, and wood paneling throughout. All of the white oak surrounding the art windows came from sustainably managed forests in Oregon.
As technology becomes a greater part of the travel experience, the new facility boasts several improvements in this respect. The airport is now offering faster WiFi. This means more connectivity so customers can catch up on work or download some entertainment before departing on their flights. The new facility offers over 300 places to charge devices. There are also over 500 seats available in the gate area.
How Alaska Airlines will utilize the space
Concourse B features ten gates for Alaska Airlines. Four of these gates are connected to the terminal via a jetbridge. Six are ground-loading positions. The primary user of these gates will be Alaska’s regional arm, Horizon Air. Horizon operates regional jets, including the Embraer E175 and the turboprop Dash 8-400.
Pre-crisis, Alaska Airlines operated 133 daily departures at PDX in 2019. According to data from Cirium, this December, Alaska Airlines has scheduled up to 86 daily departures as it waits for the demand environment to improve before bringing back more of its hub. It plans to continue ramping up service at Portland through next summer.
However, the airline has also been adding some new destinations. This December, the airline will fly to 44 nonstop destinations from Portland, including new additions in Cancun, Denver, San Luis Obispo, and Tampa.
Shane Jones, vice president of real estate and airport development at Alaska Airlines, stated the following on the new facility:
“PDX is a crucial part of Alaska’s future, especially as one of our key West Coast hubs. Our partnership and joint investment with the Port of Portland highlights our commitment to provide our guests with an excellent travel experience by making improvements that will make their journeys more enjoyable.”
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Portland will remain important
Portland, Oregon, will remain an important city for Alaska Airlines. It is one of the airline’s critical hubs on the West Coast and is an attractive hub for the airline in the Pacific Northwest. Alaska Airlines has done a lot of work to round out its network in Portland, but now it is looking at continuing to grow depth. In addition, the airline sees an opportunity to develop some more connections, and facilities like the new Concourse B will be an important one.
Alaska Airlines wants to continue being the top airline in Portland. One of its goals over the next few years is to grow to over 50% market share in the city. Part of this will require the airline to continue building up strong loyalty with local travelers. A new, updated space like this, and with more coming thanks to the ongoing redevelopment, will help the airline achieve that goal.
