Sea-Tac Now Ranks 9th Busiest In the U.S.

SEATTLE, WA - Last year was a record year for travel at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with passenger travel up 8 percent, the airport is reporting.

Nearly 46 million travelers passed through the airport in 2016, vaulting it to the No. 9 busiest in the U.S. in 2016. In 2015, Sea-Tac was No. 13 busiest in the U.S. That means Sea-Tac is now busier than the airports that serve Houston, Phoenix, Miami, and Charlotte, according to the airport.

“Sea-Tac is working with the region to be a world-class airport for the community,” Port of Seattle Commission President Tom Albro said in a release. “Some benefits of growth are easy to see, such as more domestic and international direct flights, more airlines and capital improvement projects to better serve customers. We are also increasing our investments in workforce development and environmental programs to ensure that a busier airport means broader community opportunities.”

The ranking of Sea-Tac as No. 9 busiest comes from data from the Official Airline Guide. Here are some other figures from 2016:

• Sea-Tac sees an average of 125,000 travelers per day, double the capacity of CenturyLink Field
• International travel increased 11.1 percent over 2015, or 4.8 million travelers
• The 8 percent increase equals 3.4 million more passengers than 2015
• 2016 was the second-highest growth year for Sea-Tac next to 2015, when passenger travel grew by 12.9 percent
• Air cargo increased 10.2 percent in 2016 to 366,000 metric tons

Image via Seattle-Tacoma International Airport