Last Saturday after my volunteer shift at The Museum of Flight, I had the opportunity to attend a panel celebrating the 75th anniversary of Seattle Tacoma International Airport. In addition to listening to the former Managing Director Oris Dunham and former Director of Sustainability Elizabeth Leavitt talk about their experiences working at SeaTac, I also talked with current Managing Director Lance Lyttle. Through our conversation and the panel, I learned a lot about the history of SeaTac and their future, beginning with future carriers coming in.
New Routes
In my conversation with Lyttle, we talked about new airlines coming into SeaTac starting this summer. First off, Lyttle mentioned that they are getting ready to introduce Starlux’s highly anticipated entry into Seattle with flights to Taipei. This would mean that there would be four airlines operating flights between Seattle and Taipei (China Airlines, EVA Air, Starlux and Delta). However during the fall, it remains to be seen as to how many flights to Taiwan SeaTac will offer.
Another highly anticipated route that I asked Lyttle about was Air India’s direct service from Seattle to India. Unfortunately, according to Lyttle, the route is more likely going to be delayed into 2025 due to strict regulations by the Indian government about how long flights need to be for pilots.
Lastly, I asked Lyttle about the potential for Etihad to fly to Seattle and he confirmed that there are no plans for Etihad to fly there due to how Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways have a strong grip on the Middle East market. Having another Middle Eastern airline flying into SeaTac could potentially push away Emirates or Qatar from flying to Seattle. While this conversation with Lyttle was exciting, the panel also talked about future plans for air service expansion in Seattle.
Potential New Airport and Expansion at SeaTac
When it comes to the future of commercial aviation in Seattle, it is more likely that the region will need a new airport in the future. Since the 1970s, there have been plans for Seattle to build a new airport in the Puget Sound region but it never came to fruition. However Lyttle and Dunham stated that with Seattle’s growth, it’s not a matter of “if” Seattle will construct a new airport, it’s more “where” and “when.” As of now, they haven’t announced a location for a new airport so there is nothing new on that front.
On the other hand, Lyttle has more plans to upgrade SeaTac to adapt to an evolving industry. He mentioned that the S gates will be renovated starting in 2025 in order to have a more competitive international terminal.
In addition to upgrading the S gates, there are plans to upgrade the northern campus of SeaTac. They plan to add three to four floors at the C gates to make the airport feel more open as well as offer more options for dining and shopping. This will also include more traveler amenities such as interfaith prayer rooms as well as more office space for TSA, airlines and airport businesses. Alaska Airlines will furthermore build a new lounge to complement the upgrades.
Speaking of lounges, concourse A will also get upgraded to make room for a new Delta Sky Club lounge to help the Atlanta-based carrier expand their footprint in Seattle. However this does not include the new Delta One Lounge featured at New York – JFK. This will also enable more airlines to open their own lounges at SeaTac with the additional space. The airport will even offer a lounge in which travelers can pay a small fee and enter the lounge to avail of included food and drink offerings. And I for one can’t wait to see what the future holds for Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
Conclusion
In summary, it was a great experience meeting with people that make SeaTac a great airport. And since I started working at Kenmore Air this summer, I feel like the work I do at Kenmore also helps contribute to making sure travelers have a stress-free experience when it comes to traveling through SeaTac. And with these upgrades, new flights, and a potential new airport, aviation in Seattle is experiencing a revival. But what do you guys think? Are you excited about the future of SeaTac? Be sure to let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!
Great post, Jam. Great to see the amazing growth in international operationsat SeaTac. Can't wait to see what the finished product looks like after the renovations, especially the S-gates!