TagSea-Tac Airport(2026)

This February 2018 briefing presents an update to the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, outlining both near-term improvement projects and a long-term development vision for the airport. The plan addresses existing conditions, development constraints, and key functional areas—including terminal, cargo, and displaced facilities—while also covering environmental review and stakeholder engagement processes. A phased approach guides how the airport intends to manage growth and infrastructure changes over time.

This February 2018 Port of Seattle Commission memo outlines the agency's local and regional government relations priorities for the year, covering areas such as workforce development, regional mobility, and environmental sustainability. Among the aviation-related priorities, the Port committed to advancing the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), strengthening community engagement with airport-area neighborhoods through forums like the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), and pursuing noise insulation grant funding for public schools near the airport. The document also highlights the Port's interest in studying the relationship between aviation activity and ultrafine particulate emissions as part of its broader state and federal legislative agenda.

The Port of Seattle's February 2018 briefing updates the Commission on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), a long-range planning effort initiated in 2013 to identify facility improvements needed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport over a 20-year horizon. The plan proposes a package of near-term projects—including 19 gates connected to a new terminal north of the existing complex—projected to meet capacity needs through 2027, while keeping the airport's current three-runway system in place. Public scoping for environmental review of these near-term projects was anticipated to begin in mid-to-late 2018.

The Port of Seattle's 2018 Federal Legislative Agenda outlines priorities for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including securing federal funding for infrastructure, expanding TSA and customs screening capacity, and addressing the airport's impact on surrounding communities. On noise and environmental issues, the Port sought greater FAA authority to engage local communities on flight path changes and noise concerns, supported studies on ultrafine particulate emissions, and pledged to monitor any proposed changes to the 65 DNL noise mitigation standard. The agenda also emphasized promoting sustainable aviation fuels, protecting immigrant workers, and improving quality of life for residents near the airport.

This January 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 the North Satellite terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The project involves growing the facility from 12 to 20 contact gates, modernizing existing infrastructure, and upgrading baggage handling systems, with construction on schedule and approximately $98.3 million spent of a $658.3 million budget. Key completed milestones include FAA-approved crane operations, structural steel erection, and installation of rainwater harvest tanks, while ongoing work includes chilled water piping replacement and escalator upgrades.

This January 2018 Port of Seattle presentation provides a Fourth Quarter 2017 update on the NorthSTAR Program and North Satellite (NSAT) renovation project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The project expands the North Satellite terminal from 160,000 to 428,000 square feet and increases contact gate positions from 12 to 20, with key improvements including a marketplace, updated gate lobbies, seismic reinforcement, and new technology infrastructure. The renovation aims to enhance the passenger experience from curb to seat, improve safety, and increase overall level of service and passenger comfort.

A January 2018 Port of Seattle report presented to the Port Commission details the economic impacts of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, showing that Sea-Tac supported approximately 87,300 jobs and generated over $11.4 billion in business revenue in 2017. The impacts span on-site airport activities—including airlines, cargo, and ground transportation—as well as visitor spending, which alone accounted for 68,200 jobs and nearly $5.9 billion in revenue. The report provides a comprehensive breakdown of wages, compensation, and business revenue across all airport-related sectors.

In January 2018, Des Moines resident and filmmaker Steve Edmiston addressed the Port of Seattle Commission, arguing that a prior FAA briefing on NextGen flight procedures omitted critical information about health harms from aircraft noise, nationwide community opposition, lawsuits against the FAA, and related legislation. Edmiston announced a project to deliver the full, fact-based briefing the Commission originally requested, presenting his information in two-minute public comment segments over an estimated 10 months. His goal was to push the Port to move beyond what he called 'selective environmentalism' and make better-informed decisions about the human and environmental costs of expanded flight operations at SeaTac Airport.

This January 2018 progress update from ESA presents an analysis of aircraft arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), examining whether notable changes occurred between 2013, 2015, and 2017. The study uses radar flight track data from July and December of each year to compare fleet mix, runway usage, and aircraft altitudes at six nautical miles from the airport. Key questions addressed include whether arrival numbers increased, whether traffic flow patterns shifted between north and south flow, and whether arriving aircraft were flying at different altitudes over the study period.

A January 2018 Port of Seattle memo prepared for the Commission outlines a briefing on the 2017 Airport Economic Impacts Study, which measures Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's effects on jobs, wages, business revenues, and tax receipts. The study, conducted by Community Attributes Inc., follows a series of similar assessments the Port has conducted roughly every five years since 1987. Results were shared with key stakeholders at a State of the Port Breakfast on January 18, 2018, ahead of a formal Commission presentation on January 30, 2018.