Puyallup Tribe partners with Kenmore Air for South Puget Sound Seaplane Operation

Flights from Tacoma and a new restaurant are all part of the plan, which is expected to launch next year.

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 05:31 PM ET

Verified

Kenmore Air has been serving the Pacific Northwest for 75 years, with floatplane tours and commuter runs to the San Juan Islands and British Columbia. [Courtesy: Kenmore Air]

Key Takeaways:

The Puyallup Tribe and Kenmore Air are partnering to establish new seaplane operations, including a dock and terminal, on tribal land along Ruston Way in Tacoma.
This collaboration aims to create job and training opportunities for Puyallup tribal members in aircraft maintenance, terminal operations, and flight training.
The new service will provide convenient seaplane travel to destinations like the San Juan Islands and British Columbia from the South Puget Sound, with operations expected to begin in late 2023.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The Puyallup Tribe of Washington State and Pacific Northwest seaplane giant Kenmore Air are partnering to bring seaplane operations to the South Puget Sound.

On Tuesday, the partners announced plans to build a new dock and terminal on property purchased by the Tribe along Ruston Way in Tacoma. The land was once inhabited by the Puyallup Tribe. For generations, they existed off salmon, shellfish, and native plants. Today, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a sovereign nation of more than 5,000 members and is one of the largest employers in Pierce County, Washington. The name, pronounced “pew-AWL-up,” means “generous people.”