Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (IATA: MARINE , ICAO: KSEA , FAA LID: SEA ), also called as Sea-Tac Airport or Sea-Tac ( ), is the main commercial airport serving Seattle's metropolitan area in Washington state. Located in the town of SeaTac, about 13 miles (21 km) south of Downtown Seattle. The airport, the largest in the Northwest Pacific North America region, is owned and operated by Port of Seattle.
The airport has flights to cities across North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. This is the main hub for Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary, Horizon Air, which is headquartered near the airport. It is an international hub and gateway to Asia and Europe for Delta Air Lines, which has grown in Sea-Tac since 2011.
By 2017 this airport is the 31st busiest airport in the world and the 9th busiest in the United States by passenger traffic, serving more than 46.9 million passengers by 2017, and is considered one of the fastest growing in the United States and the world. These are categorized in the National Integrated Airport System Plan for 2015-2019 as the major commercial airport (airport hub) based on 16.121.123 enplanements in 2012. The airport is the largest generator of vehicle travel in the state, and the parking garage 13,000 cars are the largest parking structure in North America under one roof.
Video Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
History
The airport was built by Port of Seattle in 1944 after the US military took over Boeing Field in World War II. Port received $ 1 million from the Civil Aeronautics Administration to build the airport and $ 100,000 from the City of Tacoma. The first scheduled flight flights were Northwest and Trans-Canada in 1947; Western and United moved from Boeing Field within the next few years, and Pan Am moved in 1952-53, but West Coast and substitute Air West and Hughes Airwest stayed at Boeing Field until 1971.
In June 1951 there were four runways with a 45-degree angle, between 5,000 and 6,100 feet (1,500 and 1,900 m); runway northeast-southwest and northwest-intersected in the west of the north-south runway which eventually became the current 34R runway. The runway 34 was extended to 7500 feet in 1951, to 8500 feet in 1958 and up to 11900 feet in 1962. The 34L runway replaced runway 2 around 1970.
April 1957 OAG shows 216 departures a week in United, 80 Northwest, 35 Western, 21 Trans-Canada, 20 Pan Am, 20 Pacific Northern, and 10 Alaska. The first jet flight was Pan Am 707s to Honolulu via Portland (OR) in late 1959. In 1966 Scandinavian Airlines embarked on the first non-stop route at the airport to mainland Europe (Pan Am did not stop to London starting around 1961). The first concourse opened in July 1959.
The two-story North Concourse (later called Concourse D) adds four new gate and wing positions along 600 feet (180 m) and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. The one-storey South Concourse (now Concourse A) opened in 1961, adding another 688 feet (210 m) to the length of the airport. The 800-foot (240 m) long-term Concourse B opened in December 1964. It added eight gate positions, totaling to 19, an area of ​​12,000 square feet (1,100 m 2 ) for international arrivals and Customs offices US Excise, Immigration, Public Health and Ministry of Agriculture. Concourse C opened in July 1966. Just four years later, it expanded to include 10 other gates, bringing the total to 35. The port embarked on a major expansion plan, designed by The Richardson Associates and lasted from 1967 to 1973, adding a second runway, a garage parking, two satellite terminals and other improvements. In 1973, a new terminal worth $ 28 million was built on and around the 1949 structure; the new terminal adds four times the area for public use. On 1 July 1973, the Airport opened two new satellite terminals, along with a subway system to connect them to the Main Terminal. In the mid-1980s, the Main Terminal was renovated and 150 feet (46 m) was added to the north end. Concourse D expanded in 1987 with a rotunda that added four new gates. In 1993, Concourses B, C and D were renovated. The project was designed by NBBJ, including the addition of 150,000 square feet (14,000 m 2 ) and renovation of 170,000 square feet (16,000m 2 ) space in Concourse B, C and D On 15 June 2004, the new Concourse A of 2,102 feet (641 ft) was inaugurated with 14 new gates, a dozen new restaurants, new artworks, and the first sidewalks at the moving airport.
Residents of the surrounding area filed lawsuits against the Port in the early 1970s, complaining about noise, vibration, smoke and other problems. Ports and the King County government adopted the Sea-Tac Community Plan in 1976 to address problems and guide future development. The harbor spent more than $ 100 million over the next decade to buy homes and school buildings around it, and soundproofed others nearby. In the mid-1980s, the airport participated in an airport noise compatibility program initiated by Congress in 1979. Airport-noise construction was developed, real estate was purchased and several homes were installed to achieve noise mitigation.
In 1978, US airline regulations expired, and US airlines were allowed to determine routes and fares without government approval. Deregulation generates new services to Seattle, including from TWA, then the fourth largest US carrier, as well as Delta, National, and America.
After the death of US Senator Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson in 1983, the Seattle Port Commission chose to rename the airport to Henry M. Jackson International Airport. Tacoma residents interpret the change as an affront to their community - the second time in airport history that the port authorities have been trying to remove the "Tacoma" from its name. The $ 100,000 that Tacoma provided for the construction of the airport during World War II came with an explicit promise that the city would be included in the airport name. The controversy was resolved after polls from Seattle and the residents of the Tacoma region showed their preference for the original name with a margin of 5: 1. Helen Jackson, widow of Senator Henry M. Jackson, expressed her desire to keep their family neutral in the debate. With a 3-2 vote from the Port of Seattle Commission, the name was returned to Sea-Tac in early 1984.
In the late 1980s, the Port of Seattle and a council representing the local government considered the future of air traffic in the region and estimated that the airport could reach capacity in 2000. The planning committee concluded in 1992 that the best solution was to add a third ground to the airport and build an additional airport two runways in one of the neighboring districts. Community members are opposed to the third platform, such as the Highline School District and the cities of Des Moines, Burien, Federal Way, Tukwila and Normandy Park, but a 1994 study concluded there were no sites worthy of additional airports. Port of Seattle approved plans for a new runway in 1996, pushing the lawsuit from opponents. Ports guarantee the necessary permits by approving noise reduction and environmental protection programs. Opponents of the runway appealed this permission, but dropped their challenge in 2004.
Building Terminals The airport center was renovated and expanded in 2003 in a project designed by Curtis W. Fentress, of Fentress Architects.
Citing rising landing costs and other costs due to work at the airport, Southwest Airlines threatened in 2005 to move to nearby Boeing Field. This plan has some problems. Boeing Field is a public airport and every airline must have the same access, requiring more capacity than is available on a single airport runway suitable for large aircraft. Major renovations will be needed. Although Southwest indicated a willingness to pay for the upgrade, there was a problem with transportation infrastructure around Boeing Field, which was not designed to handle incoming and outgoing traffic from major airport passengers. Eventually it became clear that Southwest Airlines would not finance the necessary transportation repairs and the plan was rejected by King County Executive Ron Sims. In addition, there are concerns that the high cost of operating the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will increase further if some airline services are transferred to Boeing Field, which is expected to be cheaper to operate for airlines.
The third runway opened on November 20, 2008, with a construction cost of $ 1.1 billion. Parallel to the existing two, the new runway is 2,500 feet west of the 34R runway, allowing landing on both at low visibility. The older platform is 800 feet apart, too close to allow the use of both in low visibility.
Increasing Delta Air Lines
In mid-2014, Delta Air Lines announced plans to expand Seattle rapidly into a transpacific center. Since then, Delta has added many flights to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, London and dozens of domestic flights to feed the service. In December, Delta is expected to offer 95 flights to 33 destinations from Seattle. In the third quarter of 2014, Delta hopes to become the single largest source of airport revenue. The increased presence of Delta in Seattle has been seen by some industry analysts in response to United's transpacific hub at San Francisco International Airport. Other analysts have speculated that this growth is also the result of Delta's disappointment with the Tokyo-Narita hub, citing the diminishing importance of Japan along with the boom in China's international travel and the lack of partner Japanese airlines.
The rapid Delta expansion at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has created some controversy. Many new domestic services Delta began offering from Seattle to increase traffic to international flights that were gnawed on routes that Alaska Airlines, formerly Delta's longtime partner, historically operated. In addition, Delta is currently seeking a total of 30 gateways in Seattle-Tacoma, almost triple the 11 gates today, to accommodate planned growth. As a temporary solution for jostling, Port of Seattle has announced the North Sea Sea Airport Removal Project (NorthSTAR). By 2020, North Satellites will be expanded by more than 240 feet, increasing the square footage of the terminal by 181,000 feet and increasing the number of gates from 12 to 20.
"We are making good progress in our discussions to improve facilities and turn Seattle into a major international gateway for Delta," said Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson on a message recorded to employees. President Ed Bastian, on calling for third-quarter earnings in 2014, stated that Delta's decision to reduce seats in Cincinnati and Memphis has yielded solid results. "Seattle's domestic performance has significantly exceeded our expectations as unit revenues increased 6 percent on a 25 percent capacity increase, boosting margins from year to year," Bastian said. Seattle airport spokesman Perry Cooper also stated that Delta currently plans to operate about 150 flights per day by 2017. It will require 19 or 20 gates, assuming the airline will operate eight flights a day from each gate. Cooper speculates that if Delta took 30 gates, more than 240 flights a day could be operated. In the end, the success of Delta's growth in Seattle relies on Port of Seattle's decision on further terminal expansion and gate allocation, which is currently assigned to airlines according to the formula using their exit flight amounts.
Maps Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Operation
Three parallel runways run almost north-south, west of the passenger terminal and 8,500 to 11,900 feet long (2,600-3,600m). In 2008 the airport averaged 946 aircraft operations per day, 89% were commercial flights, 10% of air taxi operations and 1% of temporary public flights.
A new control tower was built starting in 2001 and opened in November 2004, at a cost of $ 26 million. The floor of the new tower control cabin is 233Ã, ft (71Ã,m) above ground level; the overall height of the tower including the antenna is 269 ft (82 m). The cabin has an area of ​​850Ã,² (79Ã,m 2 ) and is designed to support the operation by ten controllers, with the possibility of forward expansion of up to 15. Tower tower sites and methods designed to maximize visibility and radar system efficacy. The original airport control tower, built in the 1950s, is now located at the airport passenger terminal and used as a road control tower, having been repaired from damage caused by the Nisqually earthquake in 2001.
The recurring problem at the airport is a misidentification of the westernmost taxiway, Taxiway Tango, as the runway. A large "X" has been placed at the northern end of the taxiway, but a number of planes have landed on the taxiway. The FAA issued a warning notice dated August 27, 2009, until September 24, 2009, urging aircraft on taking precautions such as REIL and other visual cues when landing from the north.
In 2007, the airport became the first airport to implement a bird radar system that provides monitoring of 24 hours of wildlife activity throughout the airfield. This pilot program, designed and implemented with the help of the University of Illinois Center of Excellence for Airport Technology (CEAT), is designed to reduce the likelihood of fatal incidents involving collisions with birds and providing test bed for technology implementation in the US. which is expected to begin in 2009. This technology is part of a strategy to reduce the presence of wildlife at the airport.
Terminal
The airport passenger facility consists of the main terminal building, along with two satellite terminal buildings.
The main terminal building is arranged in the form of "X", with four concourses, called Concourse A, B, C, and D, forming different arms. In the center, where concourses converge, there is a "central terminal," an area without a passenger gate, but several restaurants and retail stores. The central terminal is also the location of five security airport security checkpoints; one is open 24/7, three are opened based on flight schedule (one is reserved for TSA PreCheck program members), and one is reserved for cruise ship passengers and is open seasonally. After passing through security, passengers have access to all gates.
Two satellite terminal buildings, named northern and southern satellites, are connected to four concourses at the main terminal by the underground person's driving system.
All international arrivals (excluding flights from cities with customs) are handled at the South Satellite Terminal, regardless of their departure terminal.
The entire airport covers an area of ​​2,500 hectares or 3.9 square miles (10 km 2 ), much smaller than other US airports with the same number of annual passengers.
Terminal Main
The Main Terminal Building has:
- Central Terminal
- Transport security security checkpoint
- Concourse A has 14 gates (A1-A14)
- Concourse B has 13 gates (B1, B3-B12, B14-B15)
- Concourse C has
- 7 gates (C3, C9, C11, C15, C17-C18, C20) 14 parking slips (Q1-Q8, Q10, Q12-Q16) served through 20 podiums at the terminal (C2A-C2H, C10A-C10F, C16A-C16F)
North Satellite Terminal
North Satellite terminal building has:
- 10 gates (N1-N4, N6-N10, N16)
- 3 parking slip (N12A-N12C)
South Satellite Terminal
South Satellite terminal building has:
- 14 gates (S1-S12, S15-S16)
- 1 parking slip (S1A)
- US. Customs and Border Protection facilities for international arrivals
Satellite Transit System
The airport has a three-line automatic person-driver system (APM) called the Satellite Transit System (STS). The underground system quickly moves between passengers in four concourses from the central terminal and out to the two satellite terminals. Originally opened in 1969, the STS system is the oldest airport person's driving system in the United States.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Top destinations
Annual traffic
Ground transport and access
Highway
The Sea-Tac site is selected in part because of its location along State Route 99, about halfway between Seattle and Tacoma. Interstate 5 and Interstate 405 also meet near the airport, with easy connections to the airport via State Route 518 and Airport Expressway. State Route 509 runs west of the airport, connecting this area to West Seattle. The airport is the largest vehicle travel generator in the state.
Parking
Port of Seattle offers on-site parking at a 13,000-room garage, famous for being North America's largest under-one parking structure. Many privately owned parking facilities are located off-site near the airport.
Public transport
The Central Link Central light rail line serves the airport at SeaTac/Airport Station with periodic services to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington. The station opened on December 19, 2009, and is connected to the airport terminal via a pedestrian bridge to the airport's parking garage. Another pedestrian bridge on International Boulevard is used to access the city of SeaTac, the nearest airport hotel, and King County Metro buses including RapidRide A Line. The 1.6 mile extension of the Link line to the south to Angle Lake Station on South 200th Street opens on September 24, 2016.
The airport is also served by the King County Metro bus system and the Transit Sound regional express buses.
The Tukwila Station, located about 5 miles east of the airport, is served by the Sounder railway commuter and the Amtrak Cascades inter-city railway with services to the north to Vancouver, Canada, and services south to Portland and Eugene in Oregon. The station can be reached in about 30 minutes via Central Link light rail or the RapidRide A Line bus service and transfers at Tukwila International Boulevard station to the RapidRide F Line bus service.
The airport is served by door-to-door shuttle service (Shuttle Express and Speedi Shuttle) and several scheduled airport bus services. Airporters include Bellair Charters for Yakima and Bellingham, and Quick Shuttle to downtown Vancouver, Canada, via Quick Shuttle, with other pick-up stops in downtown Seattle, Bellingham International Airport, and drop-off stops just inside the Canada-US border and at Vancouver International Airport.
Taxis, limousines, and transport network companies (Lyft, Uber, and Wingz) are also available.
Car rental facility
The 23 acre consolidated car rental facility (9.3Ã, ha) is open on May 17, 2012. The facility is located in the northeast part of the airport at the intersection of South 160th Street and International Boulevard South. The facility has 5,400 parking spaces and can handle up to 14,000 transactions per day. Upon opening of the facility, 3,200 parking spaces in the central parking structure were opened for general use. Passengers reach the facility within a five-minute journey on top of one of 29 low Gillig CNG buses. Previously, only Alamo, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Hertz and National had car on site; Benefits, Dollars, Enterprise, Thrifty, EZ Rent-A-Car and Fox Rent A Car run transport to off-site locations. No Time Car Rental is now present. Rent-a-Wreck customers must board the shuttle to the facility and then board one of the company's shuttles to the Rent-a-Wreck office.
The facility was originally scheduled to open in spring 2011. However, construction was suspended on December 15, 2008, by selecting the Port of Seattle Commission and not resuming until June 2009.
Live music
In 2013, Sea-Tac launches a program centered around local music, giving local musicians the opportunity to perform at various locations across the airport. Since then it became a daily staple close to Seattle area musicians. The airport has 30 additional entertainers on site along with daily music programs during the Christmas holiday season.
Future development
Sea-Tac Airport has recorded a record growth in passenger traffic over the past few years. The growth was partly driven by the expansion of Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and by Delta Air Lines set up a major international center at Sea-Tac Airport. The growth has been pressing facilities at the airport, leading the port to invest more than $ 2 billion into several expansion and renovation projects.
D terminal hardstand
The project will add six new gateways where passengers will wait until departure time, then will board a large bus outside the terminal that will transport them to aircraft parked in a remote area at the airport called hardstand. At most other gates on the airport passenger board either by walking directly to the plane via jet plane, or in the case of smaller regional planes, by walking outside and onto a plane parked near the terminal. The Sea-Tac Airport official said the $ 38 million project could be built quickly and ready for service by the summer of 2018. The hardstand terminal will help the airport face the gate shortage as other projects are completed around the airport. The building will be connected to D Concourse by a bridge and to the Satellite Transit System by a closed road to the North Terminal Main station. Port of Seattle calls the building a "temporary facility" but intends to use it for the next 10 to 20 years.
Baggage system
Currently Sea-Tac Airport has six outbound baggage handling systems with limited cross-connectivity. The current system is old and reaches its maximum capacity. The $ 320.4 million project will create an integrated and high-speed baggage system beneath the airport. That will allow the bag to be checked from the ticket counter, to receive a faster security check, and to be forwarded to any gate at the airport. Extra efficiency and speed will allow the airport to handle more luggage in the future without extending the trace of baggage handling systems. The initial phase of the project will be completed by 2018 and the entire system will exist in 2023.
North Satellite Modernization
The North Satellite Terminal has received only a limited increase since it opened in 1973 and requires modernization. Port of Seattle initially saw only the terminal update in a project called North Satellite Remodeling Plan (NorthSTAR). In 2016 it was announced that the Port would also expand the terminal significantly. The $ 550 million project now called North Satellite Modernization will increase the size of the North Satellite by 201,000 square feet and eight other gates, bringing the total to 20. In the first phase of the project, scheduled for completion by mid 2019, the terminal will be extended to the west by 240 feet, a new mezzanine level with a full dining area, and Alaska Airlines lounge on the roof. In the second phase, scheduled to be completed in Spring 2021, the existing terminal part will be modernized.
New International Arrival Facility
The International Arrival Facility (IAF) is currently located in the basement of the Southern Satellite and has become very crowded at peak arrival times. In addition, the process for passengers is complicated by the location of isolated terminals.
To address this situation, Seattle Harbor is building a 450,000 square-foot east IAF in the main Hall at the main terminal building. The facility will increase capacity by nearly 60 percent by increasing the number of passport control booths and kiosks from 30 to 80 and the number of carp baggage claims from four to seven. The new IAF will connect to the southern satellite with a 900-foot highway, a bridge that will carry an 85-foot passenger on board an existing plane and above Concourse A. The project is expected to be completed by 2021. at a cost of $ 766 million.
After the new IAF opens South Satellite will continue to be used for international flight arrivals and additional international gateways will be added in Concourse A, virtually doubling the number of gates capable of serving larger wide bodied aircraft.
Modernization of Southern Satellite
After the newly completed International Arrival Facility, Seattle Harbor will be renovating the South Satellite Terminal.
Accidents and incidents
- November 30, 1947: Alaska Airlines Flight 9, Douglas C-54A en route to Seattle from Anchorage, Alaska, landed in thick fog and damp conditions after a failed attempt at Boeing Field and Paine Field in nearby Everett. The aircraft landed below 2,748 feet (838 m) outside the approach area to Runway 20 and drove to a nearby road, colliding with a car and on fire. Nine casualties from the accident, including a blind woman who climbed into the car.
- April 2, 1956: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser headed to Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon and headed east, experiencing extreme power reduction and jerking shortly after takeoff due to improper aircraft arrangement cowl cover by engineer flights. The original plan was made to land at the McChord Air Force Base, but the pilot was forced to make a water landing at Puget Sound in the east of Maury Island. The plane sank in 15 minutes. Five of 38 passengers were killed.
- November 24, 1971: Northwest Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727 flying to Sea-Tac from Portland International Airport, hijacked by a man who calls himself "Dan Cooper," was later misidentified by the press as "D. B. Cooper." Cooper released passengers after landing in return for $ 200,000 and four parachutes, ordering the plane back into the air and jumping out into southwestern Washington with money. To this day, both Cooper and most of the $ 200,000 have been discovered.
- January 20, 1983: Northwest Airlines Flight 608, a Boeing 727 that flew from Sea-Tac to Portland, was hijacked. The man told the flight attendant that he had a bomb and demanded to be taken to Afghanistan. Federal agents stormed the plane after landing in Portland for refueling. The hijacker was killed and the box he was carrying did not show explosives.
- April 15, 1988: Horizon Air Flight 2658, de Havilland Canada Dash-8 twin engine leaves for Spokane International Airport, loses power on machine number two shortly after takeoff. While the crew lowered their teeth to land when they returned to the airport, a major fire broke out in the right nacelle machine, resulting in loss of braking and directional control. Upon landing, the plane turned off the runway and crossed the road, colliding with two jetway before stopping in third. The plane was destroyed by fire by impact. Four of 37 passengers suffered serious injuries, but no casualties.
Note
References
External links
- Official website on the Port of Seattle website
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at WSDOT Aviation
- HistoryLink.org The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History - Detailed article on airport history
- FAA Airport Chart Ã, (PDF) , effective May 24, 2018
- FAA Terminal Procedures for SEA, valid 24 May 2018
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KSEA
- ASN crash history for SEA
- FlightAware airport information and direct flight trackers
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautics graph for KSEA
- Current SEA FAA delay information
- OpenNav airspace and charts for KSEA
- Seattle-Tacoma Airport Car Hire
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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