Alaska Airlines says Sea-Tac Airport expansion could worsen congestion

The Sea-Tac Airport $2.3 billion expansion is partly being done in an effort to mitigate the rapidly increasing foot and vehicle traffic, but according to Alaska Airlines, the plan has critical issues and will potentially increase congestion.

The airport is looking to launch an automated security process in the future along with 19 additional gates and a second terminal, among other expansions.

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But Alaska officials believe the plan for a 19-gate terminal would utterly disconnect passengers from the rest of the airport’s core operations, thereby frustrating passengers and making it one of the most congested airports in the U.S., reports the Puget Sound Business Journal.

In 2018, approximately 50 million people passed took flight to or from Sea-Tac, and 60 percent more planes are expected to land there by 2034.

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“This isolated terminal would require passengers moving between terminals to use a bus or automated people mover to reach the other terminal, as well as go through separate security screening in each terminal, severely challenging flight connections and passenger convenience,” said Shane Jones, Alaska’s vice president of airport real estate and development in a letter to Sea-Tac.

Alaska Airlines also contends that Sea-Tac Airport is not on land big enough to sustain the expansion for a major airport, citing airports like Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (on 20,000 acres) and Denver International Airport (on 40,000). Sea-Tac sits on 2,500 acres of property.

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“It would be misguided to bring all 19 gates online in 2027 with no plan to increase the capacity of the airfield or surrounding airspace,” the Alaska Airlines letter went on to say.

In response to the Alaska Airlines claim, the Port Of Seattle released the following statement last week:

“As a public agency, we are tasked with making investments in public infrastructure that meet the needs of the region and all airlines. Sea-Tac Airport is an asset of statewide significance and planning for how it can accommodate the growth of region requires that we address the needs of all stakeholders. Alaska is a great partner, and we are proud to have them as our hometown carrier. However, the assertion that the proposed new terminal, currently under environmental review, would lack connectivity to the rest of the airport is factually incorrect. There are many options for connectivity, and the final decision on all projects will be made by the Port Commission.”

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