Alaska Airlines has opened a new training facility in Renton.
The new facility spans 660,000 square feet and is near Longacres on SW 16th Street. It is on a property that is 19 acres in size and is a neighbor to the Seattle Sounders. Banner printing is often used at such sites to inform residents of such new facilities and their purpose.
The facility is state-of-the-art and will train thousands of employees of Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines. These employees will become customer service agents, pilots, and flight attendants. The facility has a simulator of 737 cabin to simulate a crash landing, help flight attendants practice fitting oxygen masks on each other, and train on scenarios that might occur while in flight. The simulator can be used by pilots to practice log haul and short haul flights on the current routes of Alaska Airlines.
Community and Economic Development Administrator for the city of Renton, Gina Estep, said that this new facility is valuable to the city and further stimulates economic growth as it strengthens its workforce.
Mayor Armondo Pavone said that Alaska Airlines is a significant employer in the Northwest and he expressed his honor that the airline selected Renton as its primary training facility. He added that with the Seattle Sounders also relocating to the Longacres neighborhood that he is looking forward to additional housing, employers, and retail also moving to the area.
