TagSAMP(642)

Meeting notes from a November 7, 2016 aviation capacity and air freight session held at SeaTac International Airport, covering topics such as top cargo commodities, airport capacity constraints, and cargo data tracking challenges. Speakers including port commissioners, WSDOT representatives, and airport managers discussed Sea-Tac's approaching operational capacity, the heavy reliance on passenger belly cargo, and the potential for other Washington airports like Spokane and Moses Lake to absorb freight demand. The group explored possible next steps including an air freight study, shipper outreach, and intermodal coordination strategies.

This 2016 Port of Seattle presentation outlines the Sustainable Airport Master Plan for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which was the fastest-growing large hub airport in the U.S. at the time, handling 42.3 million passengers and 381,000 flight operations in 2015. The plan projects significant growth through 2034, forecasting up to 66 million annual passengers and 540,000 aircraft operations, driven by the region's expanding economy. Major infrastructure projects underway included a North Satellite Expansion, a new International Arrivals Facility, runway reconstruction, and a baggage system overhaul to accommodate this growth.

This 2016 working paper documents the methods and assumptions used to build an air quality emissions inventory for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as part of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan. Using the FAA's EDMS modeling software, analysts estimated pollution from sources including aircraft engines, ground support equipment, parking, and stationary facilities such as generators and boilers. Aircraft operation data for 2014 was gathered from multiple sources, including FAA tower records, airline guides, and the Port of Seattle's own noise monitoring system.

This June 2016 Port of Seattle staff memo updates the Commission on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) for Sea-Tac Airport, summarizing progress on airside capacity modeling, terminal expansion options, and a series of public roundtable forums on topics such as environmental sustainability, community impacts, and airline needs. Modeling indicates the airfield will reach critical delay levels between 2029 and 2034, making infrastructure improvements such as aircraft hold positions essential. The memo outlines next steps toward narrowing master plan alternatives to one or two options for formal environmental review later in 2016.

A December 2015 presentation by Sea-Tac Airport's Director of Environmental & Planning outlines how the airport is weaving sustainability into its Master Plan across three phases: what and where it builds, how it builds, and how it operates. The plan is guided by the Port of Seattle's Century Agenda and the airport's own Strategy for a Sustainable Sea-Tac (S3), with development concepts for airfield, terminal, and landside areas being screened against sustainability-based evaluation criteria. Key planning constraints include meeting passenger demand growth without adding new runways, improving airfield efficiency through NextGen technology, and converting sustainability goals into measurable decision-making criteria.

In this September 2015 letter, the Port of Seattle and the City of SeaTac reached a mutual agreement regarding the environmental review of Sea-Tac Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The Port committed to conducting a full environmental analysis of all anticipated airport growth — including international passenger traffic — as part of the SAMP review process, addressing the City's concerns about transportation and other impacts. In exchange, the City agreed not to file an appeal on the Final Declaration of Non-Significance issued for the International Arrivals Facility project.

This September 2015 technical report, prepared by Leigh Fisher for the Port of Seattle, provides long-range forecasts of aviation activity at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as part of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan. It examines historical and projected trends in enplaned passengers, air cargo, and aircraft operations, drawing on regional socioeconomic data such as population growth, employment, and income in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The forecasts are intended to support future airport planning decisions, including infrastructure and capacity needs.