Airport Guide

History of Seattle Airport

Though Seattle had its own airport prior to the start of the second world war, once this was taken over by the US Military a new base had to be established for civilian traffic.

So it was that work began on what is now Seattle Tacoma International in 1944, with the first flights taking off in 1947.

By 1949, international services over to Tokyo were being operated alongside regional and national flights and, following the construction of what is still the current terminal complex in 1959, 1966 saw the launch of the first non-stop flights between Seattle and Europe.

A programme of expansion took place in the early 1970s, while, following protracted legal and planning wrangles, a new, third runway was finally opened in 2008.

Following on from the passing of the open skies agreement reached between the US and European Union, it is anticipated that long-haul international flights to Seattle are set to pick up, with several major carriers all having been linked with possible new services in the wake of the initiative.

Travelling to Seattle Airport

The principal airport of Washington State is well-connected to downtown Seattle by an efficient and reliable public transportation system.

The fastest means of travelling between the terminal buildings and the city centre is the Central Link rail service, which was opened in 2009 and which also connects the international airport with several of the city's main suburbs.

Additionally, a number of regular bus services are available from outside the terminal buildings, linking passengers with the city centre and numerous other destinations.

For example, buses connect the airport with Everett, Eastside and Tacoma, while it is also possible to take a bus service from Seattle International to nearby Bellingham International Airport, as well as to the Canadian city of Vancouver and its international airport.

Airlines flying from Seattle Airport

The 18th-busiest airport in the United States, 'Sea-Tac' handles around 30 million passengers a year, with flights offering direct links across the country as well as to numerous international destinations.

The airport serves as a major hub for Alaska Airlines, which offers the widest range of services out of Seattle, operating flights to dozens of destinations every day.

Within the US itself, the carrier flies to, among other destinations, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Newark, Orange County, Phoenix, San Francisco and Tuscon.

Meanwhile, the carrier also flies to Ontario and Vancouver in Canada, as well as to Mazatlan and Vallarta in Mexico.

At the same time, the regional airline Horizon Air serves around 20 US destinations, including Bellingham, Missoula, Reno, Santa Barbara and Spokane as well several destinations in Hawaii, while also flying over the border to cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

Delta Airlines flies on similar US and Canada routes, as do American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Continental, while Hawaiian Airlines offers direct links to Honolulu and Kahului.

On the international front, Air France flies to Paris, Asiana Airlines to Seoul and British Airways to London.

Additionally, EVA Air flies to Taipei, Hainan Airlines to Beijing, Icelandair to Reykjavik, Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Korean Air to Seoul.