Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, or Sea-Tac as it is commonly known, was founded in 1944. The airport was initially built as a military airfield to serve the United States Army Air Force during World War II. It was designed to provide a central hub for military flights from all over the Pacific Northwest region. After the war ended, it was then converted into a civilian airport and opened for commercial use in 1946.
Since then, Sea-Tac has grown significantly and become one of the busiest airports in the United States. In 1962, Sea-Tac opened its first international terminal and began offering flights to Mexico and Canada. In 1978, the airport began service to Tokyo via Northwest Orient Airlines (now Delta Airlines). In 1988, Sea-Tac became an official U.S. Customs Port of Entry, allowing international passengers to clear customs without leaving the airport grounds. Since then, Sea-Tac has continued to expand its flight offerings and services with more than 40 airlines now operating out of the airport on both domestic and international routes.
The most recent addition at Sea-Tac is its new International Arrivals Facility which opened in 2017. The facility features advanced security checkpoints including facial recognition technology as well as automated passport control kiosks that allow passengers to quickly complete their customs paperwork without having to wait in line at a traditional immigration desk. The facility also includes an automated baggage system that allows passengers’ luggage to be automatically screened for potential threats before being loaded onto planes for departure or delivered directly to their destination upon arrival.
SEA is the abbreviation code for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. According to Abbreviation Finder, SEA can also mean:
- NAVSEA
- SINR Exclusion Area
- Safety & Environmental Associates, Inc.
- Safety Engineering Agent
- Safeway Employee’ Association
- Samsung Electronics America
- Save the Environment Afghanistan
- Scanning Electrostatic Analysis
- Science Experience Abroad
- Science and Education Administration
- Science and Engineering Ambassador
- Scientist’s Expert Assistant
- Sea Echelon Area
- Seagate Enterprise Architecture
- Search Engine Advertising
- Seattle Education Association
- Seattle Mariners
- Seattle, WA, USA – Seattle Tacoma International Airport
- Secondary Entrance Assessment
- Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura
Seattle Airport – Tacoma International Airport, WA (SEA)
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the largest in the US state of Washington airport and also one of the largest in the United States. It serves the two large cities Seattle and Tacoma, which the locals often just call “SeaTac”.
- URL: Seattle – Tacoma International Airport, WA (SEA)
- Time zone: GMT -8
- Service phone: +1 206 787-5388; 800 544-1965
- Address: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 17801 International Boulevard (Pacific Highway South), Seattle, WA 98158, USA
- Operator: Port of Seattle
- Parking spaces: yes, subject to a charge; Short-term and long-term parking spaces
- Nearby cities: Seattle (17 km), Bellevue (20 km), Tacoma (24 km)
- Transportation: Washington State Routes 518, 99, and 509, near Interstate I-5
- Train Services: Take the Amtrak to Seattle – King Street Station and then change to either bus route # 174 or # 194 on METROTRANSIT.
- Flight distribution on the days of the week: Monday (14.93%), Tuesday (13.78%), Wednesday (14.23%), Thursday (14.32%), Friday (14.52%), Saturday (13.66%), Sunday (14.56%)
- other spellings: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SeaTac Airport, Сиэтл, سياتل ، واشنطن, Σιάτλ, سیاتل, 시애틀, सीऐटल, סיאטל, シ ア ト ル, ซี แอ ต სიეტლი ъ, 西雅圖, Сіэтл, Сил, Сіэтл, Сил, Сіэтл, Сил, Сіэтл, Сил, Сііатл, Сил, Сіэтл, Сил, Сіэтл, Сил, Сіэтл, Сил, Sietla (ASV), Сиетл, Сијетл, Sijetl, சியாட்டில், Сієтл
Most popular destinations from Seattle – Tacoma International Airport, WA (flights per week)
- Los Angeles International Airport, CA (263, 4.67%)
- Anchorage (248, 4.40%)
- San Francisco International Airport, CA (238, 4.22%)
- Portland International Airport, Oregon (209, 3.71%)
- Denver International Airport, CO (192, 3.41%)
- Spokane, WA (182, 3.23%)
- Las Vegas – McCarran International Airport, NV (168, 2.98%)
- Vancouver International Airport, BC (160, 2.84%)
- Phoenix – Sky Harbor International Airport (156, 2.77%)
- San Jose International, CA (154, 2.73%)
- Other (65.04%)
Top airlines (share of take-offs / landings)
- Alaska Airlines (3276, 12.17%)
- American Airlines (2370, 8.81%)
- Korean Air Lines (2094, 7.78%)
- Virgin Atlantic Airways (1379, 5.12%)
- Westjet (1297, 4.82%)
- Southwest Airlines (1193, 4.43%)
- Japan Airlines (1140, 4.24%)
- KLM (1105, 4.11%)
- Delta Air Lines (1006, 3.74%)
- Royal Brunei Airlines (945, 3.51%)
- Other (41.27%)
Location
The airport is located approximately 20 kilometers south of downtown Seattle and approximately 4 kilometers west of Interstate 5. For passengers arriving by car, the best way to get to the airport is via Interstate 5. Take I-5 to the exit # 152 and then follow the signs to the airport on S. 188th Street, alternatively you can reach the airport on I-5 at exit # 151 or on State Road 518 at the exit to International Boulevard.
Passengers arriving by train take the Amtrak to Seattle – King Street Station and then change to bus route # 174 or # 194 of the “Metro Transit”.
In the metropolitan area of Seattle, the public transport operator “King County’s Metro Transit” offers several bus routes every day that stop at the airport, including # 140, 174, 180, 194, 560 and 574 Surroundings of Seattle, for example from Redmond, Lakewood, Auburn, Gig Harbor or Tacoma, various bus and train connections to the airport are offered by the “Sound Transit” every day.
History
The airport, located south of downtown, was founded and opened for civil air traffic as early as 1944. After Northwest Airlines made its first transpacific flights to Japan in 1949, the word “International” was added to the name of the airport.