TagSea-Tac Airport(2026)

This document outlines the Runway Use Agreement between the FAA and the Port of Seattle at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), effective December 6, 2010. It establishes preferred runway assignments for arrivals and departures under various weather and traffic conditions, while making clear that safety and air traffic management always take priority. The agreement does not change existing FAA practices but aims to provide consistency and transparency for the public regarding how runways are used.

This document is Appendix N of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study Update, compiled by Landrum & Brown in October 2013. It contains the FAA's official approval, dated August 19, 2010, of the aviation activity forecast submitted by Sea-Tac Airport in July 2010. The FAA determined that the forecast provided adequate justification for total aircraft operations and authorized its use in the airport's Noise Compatibility Plan Update.

This engineering study describes the design and construction of a 46-meter (150-foot) tall mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall built along the western edge of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's third runway embankment, believed to be the tallest such wall in the western hemisphere at the time. The wall was necessary to raise the ground level by up to 50 meters while avoiding encroachment into nearby wetlands and creeks. Monitoring of the wall during and after construction confirmed it performed safely and largely as predicted.

The Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA) Redevelopment Plan and Implementation Strategy, prepared in April 2010 by the City of Burien and Port of Seattle, outlines a 15-year plan to convert land near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from incompatible residential and small-scale commercial uses into airport-compatible development. Created in response to noise and operational impacts from Sea-Tac Airport, the plan was shaped by community input, market analysis, and FAA restrictions. The strategy provides a phased, incremental approach to guide property owners and stakeholders through the redevelopment process while balancing environmental, economic, and community considerations.

The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs submitted formal scoping comments in February 2010 criticizing the planned Part 150 noise study at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as too narrow in scope and insufficient in public participation opportunities. The comments call for improvements in study documentation standards, including proper indexing, clear citations, author transparency, and plain-English presentation of data. The commission also urges that public comment periods be at least 60 days and not scheduled around major holidays.

SeaTac lawmakers voted to rescind a controversial eminent domain ordinance targeting a privately owned parking lot near the airport light-rail station, while also hearing a retail and entertainment feasibility study for an 82-acre proposed city center development adjacent to the airport. Separately, a public workshop on SeaTac Airport's Part 150 Noise Study—which examines ways to reduce aircraft noise impacts on surrounding communities—was scheduled for February 24 at Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines. The workshop was part of an ongoing public engagement process inviting residents to participate in shaping noise-reduction solutions and recommendations.