SeaTac Airport History

1941‐1949

A few relatively small airfields existed in the Puget Sound area during the 1920s and 1930s including Boeing Field, Bryn Mawr Airfield, and Tacoma Municipal Airfield. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, however, local airfields were primarily limited to military use. In 1942, the Civil Aviation Authority offered $1 million to any local government willing to build a new regional airport. The Port of Seattle agreed to take on the project later that same year. A few different locations were considered including the area at Bow Lake halfway between Seattle and Tacoma. Pierce County and Tacoma offered $100,000 to help build the airport if that site was chosen. On March 30, 1942 the Port of Seattle approved Bow Lake as the site of the new airport. Roughly 906.9 acres were surveyed and the Port spent $637,019 buying up land from 264 individual owners. Workers broke ground in 1943 and the Seattle‐Tacoma Airport was dedicated on October 31, 1944 at a cost of over $4,000,000.

In the early years, the airport terminal consisted of a somewhat primitive Quonset hut. However, the Port soon began making plans for a proper terminal. Thirty‐thousand turned out on July 9, 1949 to witness the dedication of the new terminal. Among the first airlines operating out of the airport were Northwest Airlines and United Airlines. Western Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Pan American Airways also operated flights out of Seattle‐Tacoma Airport but primarily still utilized Boeing Field. That year, Northwest Airlines began offering direct flights to Tokyo, Japan and “International” was officially added to the airport’s name.

November 30, 1947 saw one of the worst accidents in Sea‐Tac Airport history as an Alaska Airlines flight carrying 25 passengers and three crewmembers crashed while trying to land in poor weather. The plane touched down beyond the approach area to the runway and collided with an automobile on Des Moines Road. Nine died including one female passenger in the automobile. Investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Board resulted in a $1,000 fine for the pilot for violating Civil Air Regulations.

1950‐1959

In 1950, Sea‐Tac’s first full year of operation, more than 500,000 passengers passed through the terminal and the runway was extended by 1,400 feet. By then, Sea‐Tac was easily the regional leader in commercial air travel. Growth in the airport followed growth in the airline industry in general. In the early 1950s, Trans‐Canada, Alaska, Flying Tiger Airlines, Pan Am, and Western began operating out of Sea‐Tac. In 1954, the airport surpassed 1,000,000 yearly passengers for the first time. With the post‐war advent of jet powered aircraft, it was clear that the decade old facilities were already outdated and even the newly extended runway needed another addition. In 1956, the Port purchased more land north of the airport in order to further extend the runway, added on to the terminal, and expanded the parking lot to accommodate another 500 cars. The airport’s first regular jet service started on October 3, 1959 when a Pan Am 707 departed Sea‐Tac for Honolulu. Passenger numbers surpassed 1.5 million in 1959.

On April 2, 1956 the airport experienced another major accident as a Northwest Orient Airlines flight carrying 32 passengers and six crewmembers was forced to land in Puget Sound shortly after takeoff. The plane sank in 15 minutes as rescuers pulled passengers from the cold water. Five passengers died. An investigation found improper setting of the cowl flaps by the flight engineer as the cause.

1960‐1969

In 1960, the Port again saw the need to lengthen the main runway. Completed in 1961, the runway grew this time to the south requiring a bridge over S. 188th St. The terminal grew with new and expanded concourses and parking doubled. Seattle’s 1962 World’s Fair helped to boost traffic as the Seattle‐Tacoma International Airport hosted over 2,000,000 passengers for the first time. This was a 400,000 passenger increase from the previous year. By this time the Port, airlines, and the Federal Government had invested around $28 million dollars in development and operation. A study completed this same year claimed 6,000 employees worked for the airport and its tenants with an annual payroll of $40 million.

The airport continued to expand its facilities throughout the 1960s due to increased passenger traffic and the arrival of larger jet powered aircraft such as the Boeing 727. In 1966 Scandinavian Airways System began offering non‐stop service from Seattle to Copenhagen; celebrating Sea‐Tac’s unique position as the only major US airport halfway between Europe and Asia. In 1968, Port commissioners began planning a major renovation and expansion project to include a second runway, underground transit, and significant terminal additions.

1970‐1979

In addition to these expansion projects, the early 1970s saw the emergence of tighter airport security. “Skyjacking” incidents were on the rise around the world. The November 24, 1971 “Dan Cooper” hijacking of a Seattle‐bound flight made headlines across the country. After boarding a flight in Portland, a passenger calling himself “Dan Cooper” passed a note to a stewardess claiming to have a bomb in his briefcase. He demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in cash upon arrival at Sea‐Tac. The plane then left for Mexico and “Cooper” parachuted from a rear passenger stairway somewhere over southern Washington, disappearing forever. Many years later some of the ransom money turned up on the banks of the Columbia River. This incident and others prompted tighter security for airports across the country. Sea‐Tac International Airport established a professional police force and by 1973 X‐ray machines and metal detectors became common fixtures at Sea‐Tac.

The airport’s major renovation, approved in 1968, was finally completed in 1973. The final cost had ballooned to several times the expected cost but by the end of the year the airport was hosting over 5 million passengers annually and 6 million just two years later. 1978 brought major change with the deregulation of the airline industry. The greater competition allowed by deregulation forced many airlines to file for bankruptcy. Along with this uncertainty, passenger traffic rose and fell. In the late 1970s, the number of airlines serving Sea‐Tac increased from 12 to 28 over just a few years.

1980‐current

In 1983, the Seattle Port Commission voted to rename the Seattle‐Tacoma International Airport in honor of recently passed U.S. Senator Henry Jackson. Protests, most notably by Tacoma, prompted the Port to revert back to the original name by January of the next year.

In 1985 the Port approved yet another remodel and expansion. This one included major terminal improvements and new gates on one concourse. Completed in 1987, the expansion included more ticket counters, offices, waiting areas, and concessions. The airport now had 66 gates and served 14.5 million passengers in 1988.

During this same year, Port and FAA planners predicted that Sea‐Tac would reach “maximum efficiency capacity” by the year 2000. Dubbed “Flight Plan,” an eight year study later concluded that the region’s air service needs could only be met with the construction of a third “dependent” runway at Sea‐Tac. Vehement opposition by community members and organizations delayed completion of the runway until 2008.

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, airport traffic dropped dramatically as airports adopted new security requirements and procedures. The newly‐formed Transportation Security Administration became a fixture at airports around the country. The industry rebounded as annual Sea‐Tac passenger traffic reached its pre‐September 11 numbers by 2004 and reached almost 30 million by 2006.

As of 2017, Sea‐Tac airport serves almost 47 million passengers annually with over 400,000 aircraft operations. According to the Port of Seattle, the airport supports over 19,000 jobs and another 68,000 jobs through visitor spending. This economic activity totals over $22 billion either directly or through multiplier effects. Land occupied by Sea‐Tac Airport has nearly tripled since its founding.

Community Concerns

Along with the rapid growth and expansion of the airport throughout the years came community concerns about noise, pollution, and loss of private property. As airport traffic increased and jet powered aircraft became the norm, communities around Sea‐Tac International Airport began to voice their displeasure. As early as the 1960s some groups expressed concerns about pollution and the effects that it might have on the ozone layer. Still others pointed to the daily “sonic booms” of new supersonic aircraft and their impact on everyday life.

In 1971 a number of nearby residents organized The Zone Three Committee named for the FAA designated area six miles north and south of Sea‐Tac where noise levels were at their highest. Thousands signed a petition demanding that the Port of Seattle buy all homes within Zone Three and establish a buffer zone. Hundreds sued the Port for damages and lost property value, and the Highline School District joined in claiming millions in damages to facilities and operations due to noise.

In 1972 the FAA, the Port, and King County funded the “Seattle‐Tacoma International Airport and Vicinity Master Plan Project” to address these issues. From this, in 1976 they adopted the “Sea‐Tac Communities Plan” to address noise, traffic, land use, and environmental concerns. Sea‐Tac International became the first airport in the U.S. to establish a noise buffer around its facility by purchasing homes, school buildings, and sound proofing others. Not everyone was satisfied.

The noise complaints continued into the 1980s. In 1984 the Port asked the FAA to address noise concerns coming from residents living below Sea‐Tac approach routes. Experiments with alternative routes, fewer nighttime runs by noisier aircraft, and quieter “Stage 3” jet engines helped but never completely solved the problem. By 1984 the Port had already demolished or moved more than 750 homes and identified more than 500 others needing relocation. Still thousands more were in need of soundproofing. In 1985 the Port Commission approved $140 million to meet these needs. In 1990 the Port created the Sea‐Tac Noise Mediation Committee in order to further explore short and long term noise reduction measures.

As the airport continued to expand, concerns over noise and growth persisted. In 1989 a 39 member independent panel dubbed the Puget Sound Air Transportation Committee set about reviewing all of Puget Sound’s future airport needs. Among their “Flight Plan” considerations were a second major regional airport, supplemental airport development, usage of existing runways at area airports, development of high speed rail to reduce air traffic, and the expansion of Sea‐Tac with a new “dependent” runway. The report, published in 1992, concluded that future air service needs could be met with the addition of a third “dependent” runway at Sea‐Tac, commercial airline use of Paine Field, and the pursuit of future “supplemental” airport sites.

Citizens and many city officials criticized the findings. As a result, the cities of Normandy Park and Des Moines, Highline Community College, and Highline Hospital organized the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs in order to fight the third runway. In 1995, the cities of Normandy Park, Tukwila, Des Moines, and later, Federal Way and Highline School District formed as the Airport Communities Coalition in opposition to runway construction. Attempts to engage and involve the public failed to pacify resistance as still other opposition groups appeared including Citizens against Sea‐Tac Expansion and Washington Alliance of Taxpayers and Travelers. Still other cities joined in the fight. In support of the opposition’s argument, an Expert Arbitration Panel issued a report praising the Port’s efforts while declaring the results insufficient to satisfy noise impacts. However, finding alternatives to a third runway grew increasingly difficult.

Lawsuits and appeals followed for almost a decade until 2004 when a State Supreme Court ruling permitted construction to resume. Later that year, the Airport Communities Coalition dropped litigation after spending $15 million over 10 years. Despite having lost the battle, they had helped force the Port into several environmental concessions. The third runway opened in 2008 at a cost of over $1 billion, many times the original estimate.

Sources:

About the Port. Retrieved 2/14/2018, from http://www.portseattle.org/About/History/Pages/default.aspx

Airport archives, Highline Heritage Museum, SeaTac, WA.

David Wilma. (3/6/2001). Airliner crash kills nine and injures 17 at Sea‐Tac Airport on November 30, 1947. Retrieved 2/17/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/3067.

David Wilma. (2/20/2002). Airliner crash into Puget Sound kills five on April 2, 1956. Retrieved 2/17/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/3698.

Highline Times, Highline Heritage Museum, SeaTac, WA. Ray Bishop and Chet Clausen, “Seattle‐Tacoma International Airport History, 1942‐1962,” 1975, typescript, Highline Heritage Museum.

Stephen Clutter, Paul J. Lim. (12/11/2004). Sea‐Tac’s Turbulent History. Retrieved 2/16/2018, from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19941211&slug=1946602 .

Transportation archives, Highline Heritage Museum, SeaTac, WA.

Walt Crowley. (6/24/2003). Sea‐Tac International Airport: Part 1 — Founding. Retrieved 2/15/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/1004.

Walt Crowley. (8/17/2003). Sea‐Tac International Airport: Part 2 — From Props to Jets (1950‐ 1970). Retrieved 2/15/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/4232.

Walt Crowley. (8/17/2003). Sea‐Tac International Airport: Part 3 — Boeing Bust to Deregulation (1970s). Retrieved 2/15/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/4233.

Walt Crowley. (6/24/2003). Sea‐Tac International Airport: Part 4 — Ascent and Dissent (1980‐ 2008). Retrieved 2/15/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/4234.

Walt Crowley. (6/21/2003). Sea‐Tac International Airport: Third Runway Project. Retrieved 2/15/2018, from http://www.historylink.org/File/4211.