Spotlight on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle, is one of the fastest-growing large hub airports in North America where over the past five years, passenger traffic has grown 41%.

Indeed, in 2019, SEA was the eighth busiest airport in the US serving 51.8 million passengers a year and 453,549 metric tons of air cargo.

Since 2017, SEA has welcomed 12 new international services, including routes to seven previously unserved international destinations: Dublin, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Munich, Osaka and Singapore.

Post-COVID, efforts are underway to maintain these routes and to introduce new flights. Qatar Airways has announced a new service to Doha beginning March 2021 and American Airlines is slated to begin LHR/SEA service this summer.

Delta Air Lines will be taking over the previous Virgin Atlantic UK route and British Airways and Aer Lingus will continue to serve SEA from London and Dublin respectively.

Lance Lyttle, managing director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, says: “In January of 2020, our airport launched a new brand and a new promise to create an elevated travel experience that reflects the Pacific Northwest. It was supposed to be a monumental year at SEA bringing in a new era of customer centred travel with better services, facilities and amenities.

“What looked like a year of exceptional advancement for one of the nation’s fastest growing airports has become instead a sobering lesson in agility and the power of good planning. But we rolled up our sleeves and our team at SEA is ready to welcome guests in our new normal.”

Customer safety, health and wellbeing is a SEA priority. For up-to-date information on airport requirements and procedures visit www.FlyHealthy@SEA.org

Commenting on the improvements for international passengers, Ron Peck, director of international tourism development, noted: “We are building a new, expanded International Arrivals Facility (IAF) at SEA to significantly enhance the international passenger experience and advance the Puget Sound region as a leading tourism and business gateway.

“With these new facilities, we will have the capacity to serve the travelling public well into the future.

“This is the largest capital development programme in the history of the 71-year-old airport and it will significantly improve the arrival process for international passengers to accommodate Seattle’s growing demand for international travel.”

The IAF program includes three new elements: A 450,000-square-foot grand hall for baggage claim and customs processing; an 85-foot-high aerial walkway that will directly connect passengers from the South Satellite to the Grand Hall and a new international corridor connecting arriving international passengers on Concourse A.

Supporting projects to expand power, fibre optic technology and high-efficiency baggage services will significantly speed-up processing during peak international arrival periods.

The guaranteed maximum price of the programme of projects is set at $968 million, with funding coming from a combination of airport-generated revenues, passenger facility charges (PFCs), and revenue bonds.

For full details see Project Overview