SeaTac-based Alaska Airlines credits long-term customer service reforms for vaulting it into the number one spot among international large carriers in Aviation Week magazine's annual rankings.

Alaska and Horizon Air, owned by Alaska, operate almost 50 percent of the flights in and out of Sea-Tac International Airport.

The magazine praised the city of SeaTac-headquartered airline for dominating routes along the west coast, practicing financial discipline and leveraging Horizon Air for additional flexibility. Its headquarters building is located at 19300 International Boulevard, just north of Angle Lake Park.

Alaska spokesperson Bobbie Egan described "a significant effort" on the part of the company to improve on-time service, which she said has also brought the company several J.D. Powers customer service awards.

"They've been very supportive of the projects the airport's done," said Perry Cooper, Sea-Tac airport spokesperson.

Many construction efforts at the airport, including runway rebuilds, are funded by landing fees paid by the airlines, who must vote to approve them. Alaska and Horizon comprise a large voting block.

Cooper noted that having Alaska headquartered in the city of SeaTac has made the relationship between the airline and the airport "a lot easier" to maintain.

Moreover, the airlines' customer service often influences the public's views of the airport, so Alaska's performance reflects favorably on Sea-Tac, Cooper noted.

As changes made several years ago begin to pay off in customer satisfaction, Alaska is testing new landing procedures that will reduce airplane noise for Puget Sound communities, Egan added.

Already in use at a few airports, optimized profile descent allows pilots to idle plane engines and glide into the landing area.

The current procedure requires pilots to descend in a series of stair steps, forcing planes coming into Sea-Tac to fly up to 25 miles north of the airport to ensure sufficient space.

Requiring significantly less gas than the ordinary "fuel-guzzling" procedure, optimized profile descent may allow Alaska to avoid releasing 22,400 metric tons of carbon emissions per year.

"We've been in the works with this for about a year, and we entirely expect the have FAA approval by the end of the year," Egan said.

So far, the airline has completed three test flights and submitted partial plans to the Federal Aviation Administration.