TagAlaska Air(111)

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport handled 49.8 million passengers and 438,391 aircraft operations in 2018, ranking 8th in the U.S. by passenger volume. A noise compatibility study forecasted total annual aircraft operations to grow from approximately 301,870 in 2009 to 399,200 by 2021, driven by increases in both domestic and international air carrier activity. The airport operates three category IIIb certified runways and is dominated by Alaska Airlines, which carries over 50% of its passengers.

In an April 2019 letter to the Port of Seattle's Executive Director, Alaska Airlines expressed support for SeaTac airport expansion but raised serious concerns about the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), arguing that the proposed 19-gate north terminal is disconnected from the main terminal, more gates than needed, and would leave 80% of travelers underserved. Alaska's independent consultants concluded that only 10 additional gates are necessary to meet projected 2027 passenger demand, and the airline proposed a phased 10-gate alternative as a less costly and less environmentally impactful solution. The letter urged the Port to include Alaska's alternative in the formal NEPA environmental review process to ensure a more legally defensible and balanced approach to airport development.

This November 2018 Port of Seattle commission briefing provides a quarterly update on the NorthSTAR Program, a joint Port of Seattle and Alaska Airlines effort to renovate and expand Sea-Tac Airport's North Satellite facility from 12 to 20 contact gates. Construction was reported as on schedule and within its $672.1 million authorized budget, with Phase 1A — including 5 new gates, a north holdroom, and concessions — on track to open in January 2019. The report also covers workforce diversity metrics, change orders, and upcoming milestones extending through a projected project completion in July 2021.

In a September 2018 letter to the Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines urged that the environmental review of Sea-Tac Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) be conducted as a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) rather than the less rigorous Environmental Assessment (EA) proposed by the Port and FAA. The airline argued that an EIS would provide stronger legal protection, more meaningful public input, and ultimately prove more cost-effective by reducing litigation risk. Alaska Airlines also pushed back on the Port's plan to focus expansion alternatives solely on a North Terminal, advocating instead for serious consideration of extending and modifying existing Main Terminal concourses as a viable alternative.

In September 2018, Alaska Airlines submitted formal comments to the Port of Seattle during the scoping phase of Sea-Tac Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), urging the Port to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) rather than a less rigorous Environmental Assessment (EA). The airline argued that an EIS would better withstand legal challenges, produce more meaningful public input, and ultimately be more cost-effective by reducing litigation risk. Alaska Airlines also called on the Port to broaden the range of alternatives under consideration beyond just North Terminal options, since the SAMP's stated purpose addresses airport-wide concerns.