The growth of the region continues to be reflected at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as the Port of Seattle releases more record setting numbers for the third quarter of 2015. All three summer months broke passenger records set by the previous month, year to date growth is more than twice the average for North America, and Sea-Tac is on pace to set an annual record for passengers for the fifth straight year.
- Overall, 2015 passenger levels through September are up 13.3 percent from 2014. For the month of September alone, Sea-Tac passengers are up 13.6 percent. In contrast, passenger traffic at North American airports grew by 5.7 percent in August.
- During the summer, the busiest season of the year, Sea-Tac surpassed four million passengers in one month for the first time ever in June (4,011,247). That record was then bested in July (4,442,031) and broken again in August (4,459,615).
- Over the previous 12 months ending in September, Sea-Tac Airport welcomed 41.3 million passengers, a 12.8 percent increase over the same period ending September 2014. If this pattern continues, Sea-Tac will see a fifth straight record in the total number of passengers which could exceed 42 million for 2015.
“Through three quarters of the year, we have already surpassed the numbers for the entire year of 2007 – that’s how fast this region is growing," said Port of Seattle CEO Ted J. Fick. “We are at a critical juncture where we have to make sure our airport can continue to serve the needs of this region’s growth that benefits business and leisure travelers as well as our entire economy.”
International traffic continues to grow, moving up 15.2 percent year to date and up 12 percent for the month of September. In addition, air cargo grew 3.3 percent year to date, including a jump of 11.6 percent for international freight. For the month of September, international air freight was up 8.4 percent, with overall freight up 4.2 percent.
A recent report from the Official Airline Guide notes Sea-Tac Airport is the fastest growing airport among the top 20 U.S. airports based on seats in July 2015. This comes after Sea-Tac was already the fastest growing large hub airport in 2014 when passenger traffic increased 7.7 percent over 2013.
Through September, 32,109,224 passengers passed through Sea-Tac Airport. That total exceeds the total passenger level at the airport for the entire year of 2007 (31,295,822). Traffic through September increased 13.3 percent over the same period in 2014 (28,351,687). International passengers increased 15.1 percent with 3,347,741 through September. For the month of September, international passengers increased 12 percent with 389,448.
The previous record for one month at Sea-Tac was August of 2014 with 3,968,007 passengers. The summer season is traditionally the busiest travel period for Sea-Tac led by August followed by July and June.
In 2014, Sea-Tac handled a record of nearly 37.5 million passengers for the year, jumping up the national rankings to the 13th busiest airport in the nation.
Upcoming Projects
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, 10 and 20 years into the future to manage growth. Projections see passenger traffic reaching 66 million by 2034.
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 327,000 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-six airlines serve 87 non-stop domestic and 19 international destinations.
