Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) has grown from a modest wartime airfield dedicated in 1944 on 906 acres of land near Bow Lake into one of the busiest airports in the United States, now serving nearly 47 million passengers annually. Over the decades, the airport underwent numerous expansions, security upgrades, and name controversies while navigating major events such as airline deregulation, the post-9/11 security overhaul, and a community-opposed third runway completed in 2008. Today, Sea-Tac supports more than 87,000 jobs and generates over $22 billion in economic activity for the region.Open full document
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A chronological history of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from its origins in the early 1940s through 2017, covering site selection, construction, and dedication in 1944. The document details decade-by-decade growth in passenger traffic, terminal expansions, runway extensions, notable accidents, and security developments including the 1971 ‘Dan Cooper’ hijacking. It concludes with modern statistics showing nearly 47 million annual passengers and over $22 billion in economic activity as of 2017.