City Officials Looking for More Flights Into Yakima

Yakima city officials will begin negotiations with officials from Alaska Airlines this week to gain a fourth daily flight to Seattle.

City Economic Development Director Sean Hawkins says they will meet at the Alaska Air headquarters in Seattle today, hoping to put together a deal.

We’ll have a good conversation. We’re very fortunate that we have $580,000 to market the flights over the next two years. So we’re coming with some resources.

Hawkins says they simply want Alaska Air to consider a fourth flight so people who get to Sea-Tac after 5 p.m do not have to wait until 11:00 p.m to take the final flight back to Yakima.

The marketing money is a combination of city funds and grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.