The Port of Seattle today released dramatic first quarter growth numbers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, exceeding predictions even after a fourth straight record passenger year in 2014. Through March, passenger levels increased more than 13 percent, including a 16 percent increase for international traffic.
“Our growth was three times more than we forecast, strong evidence of the continued growth of our region and the need for responsible, efficient facility improvements to handle the needs of business and leisure travelers,” said Port Commission Co-President Courtney Gregoire.
In 2014, Sea-Tac Airport set a record for passengers with nearly 37.5 million.
The capital budget for the airport includes $1.9 billion in projects over the next five years. This includes the renovation and expansion of the north satellite, a new International Arrivals Facility, a new high-speed baggage system, and the reconstruction of the center runway.
In addition, the port is working on a Sustainable Airport Master Plan to look ahead five, ten and twenty years in the future to manage growth. Master Plan projections see passenger traffic reaching 66 million by 2034.
Statistics through March show Sea-Tac Airport with a 14.2 percent increase in passengers, 3,230,487, over the previous year. That includes a rise of 17.2 percent for international passengers, a 13.8 percent bump in domestic passengers month to month. Year to date, the overall increase is 13.1 percent, with a 16.2 percent jump in international traffic and a 12.7 percent rise in domestic traffic.
Air freight is seeing a jump as well in international traffic with a jump of 17.7 percent in March and year to date rising 18.5 percent.Sea-Tac remains one of the fastest growing large hub airports in the U.S. Preliminary statistics have pushed it up one notch to the 13th largest in the U.S. for passenger traffic in 2014.
About Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Operated by the Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA, KSEA) is ranked as the 13th busiest U.S. airport, serving more than 37.4 million passengers and more than 319,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2014. With a regional economic impact of more than $16.3 billion in business revenue, Sea-Tac generates 171,796 jobs (109,924 direct jobs) representing over $2.8 billion in direct earnings and more than $565 million in state and local taxes. Twenty-five airlines serve 78 non-stop domestic and 21 international destinations.
