Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, branded as SEA Airport and also referred to as Sea-Tac, is the primary commercial airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the state of Washington, United States. In the city of SeaTac, named after the airport’s nickname “Sea-Tac”, it is approximately 23 km south of downtown Seattle and 29 km north-northeast of downtown Tacoma. The busiest airport in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, it is located between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia and is owned by the Port of Seattle.
The entire airport covers 2,500 acres, much smaller than other US airports with similar annual passenger numbers. Private jet and scheduled flights operate from the airport to cities in North America, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is the primary hub for Alaska Airlines, whose headquarters are close to the airport. It is also a hub and international gateway for Delta Air Lines, which has been expanding at the airport since 2011. As of 2022, 31 airlines operate at SEA, serving 91 domestic and 28 international destinations.
United States of America private jet charter prices
Although Seattle Tacoma Airport air charter fees depend on variables such as the number of passengers, departure airport, flight time, aircraft position, flight date, the prices for private jet charter from Istanbul → Washington are as follows.
| Heavy Jet | 120.100 EUR |
| Long Range Jet | 143.200 EUR |
| VIP Airliner | 183.000 EUR |
These prices are average amounts and you can contact us on our flight reservation screen or by phone for the most accurate price information.
Tacoma Airport history from 1944 to today
The airport was built by the Port of Seattle in 1944 after the US military took control of Boeing Field in World War II. The Port received $1 million from the Civil Aeronautics Administration and $100,000 from the City of Tacoma to build the airport. The first scheduled airline flights were operated by Northwest and Trans-Canada in 1947; Western and United moved out of Boeing Field over the next few years, Pan Am moved in 1952-53, but West Coast and its successors Air West and Hughes Airwest remained at Boeing Field until 1971. The original terminal was designed by architect Herman A. Moldenhour. The official opening ceremony took place on July 9, 1947 in front of a crowd of 30,000 people.
In June 1951, the four runways were 1,500 to 1,900 m long at 45-degree angles, with the northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast runways intersecting just west of the north-south runway, which eventually became today’s runway 34R. Runway 34 was extended to 7500 ft in 1951, 8500 ft in 1958 and 11900 ft in 1962. This extension required the construction of an automobile tunnel for South 188th Street, which opened in July 1961.
April 1957 OAG shows 216 departures per week, including United, 80 Northwest, 35 Western, 21 Trans-Canada, 20 Pan Am, 20 Pacific Northern and 10 Alaska. The first jet flights were Pan Am Boeing 707 flights to Honolulu via Portland in late 1959. Scandinavian Airlines launched the first non-stop flight from the airport to mainland Europe in 1966 (Pan Am’s non-stop flights to London began in 1961). The first passenger lounge opened in July 1959.
The two-story North Concourse (later called Concourse D) added four gate positions and a new wing 180 m long and 30 9.1 m wide. The single-story South Concourse (now Concourse A) opened in 1961, adding another 210 m to the airport’s length. The 240 m long Concourse B opened in December 1964. It added eight gate positions, bringing the total to 19, with 1,100 m² of space for international arrivals and offices for US Customs, Immigration, Public Health and the Department of Agriculture. Concourse C opened in July 1966. The port embarked on a major expansion plan designed by The Richardson Associates and lasting from 1967 to 1973, which included a second runway, a parking garage, two satellite terminals and other improvements. In 1973, a new $28 million terminal was built on and around the 1949 structure; the new terminal quadrupled the public use area. On July 1, 1973, the Airport opened two new satellite terminals and an underground train system to connect them to the Main Terminal. In the mid-1980s, the Main Terminal was renovated and an additional 46 m was added at the north end. Terminal D was expanded in 1987 with a rotunda that added four new gates. In 1993, Terminals B, C and D were renovated. The project, designed by NBBJ, included the addition of 14,000 m² of space and the renovation of 16,000 m² of space in Halls B, C and D. On June 15, 2004, the new 641 m long Concourse A opened with 14 new gates, a dozen new restaurants, new artwork and the airport’s first moving sidewalks.
Residents of the surrounding area filed lawsuits against the Port in the early 1970s, complaining of noise, vibration, smoke and other problems. The Port and King County government adopted the Sea-Tac Communities Plan in 1976 to address the problems and guide future development. Over the next decade, the Port spent more than $100 million to buy nearby homes and school buildings and soundproof other nearby buildings. In the mid-1980s, the airport joined the airport noise compatibility program initiated by Congress in 1979. Airport noise contours were developed, real estate was purchased and some homes were retrofitted for noise abatement.
In 1978, the US ended airline regulation and US airlines were allowed to set routes and fares without government approval. Deregulation resulted in the introduction of some new services to Seattle, including TWA, then the fourth largest airline in the US, as well as Delta, National and American.
The airport’s Central Terminal building was renovated and expanded in 2003 in a project designed by Curtis W. Fentress of Fentress Architects.
The third runway opened on November 20, 2008 at a construction cost of $1.1 billion. Parallel to the two existing runways, the new runway is located 760 m west of runway 34R, allowing landings on both runways in low visibility. The old runways are 240 m apart, too close to allow the use of both in low visibility.
In 2014, Delta Air Lines announced plans to make Seattle a transpacific hub. Since then, Delta has added numerous international flights and dozens of domestic flights to fuel these services. Delta’s increased presence in Seattle has been seen by some industry analysts as a response to frustration with United Airlines’ transpacific hub in San Francisco and Delta’s former Tokyo-Narita hub.
In late 2021, shortly after Alaska Airlines joined American Airlines in the Oneworld alliance, American began building a hub at the airport to serve destinations in the Asia Pacific region.
The North Satellite Terminal had received only limited improvements since it opened in 1973 and was in need of modernization. The Port of Seattle initially considered simply updating the terminal through a project it called the North Satellite Renewal Plan (NorthSTAR). In 2016, the Port also announced that it would significantly expand the terminal. The $550 million project, called the North Satellite Modernization, increased the size of the North Satellite by 201,000 square feet and eight more gates, bringing the total to 20. The first phase of the project, which opened on July 11, 2019, expanded the terminal by 73 m to the west and added eight gates, a mezzanine level with dining and a rooftop lounge for Alaska Airlines. The second phase modernized the remaining areas of the old terminal and expanded the dining and retail space around the existing twenty gates. The new terminal opened on June 29, 2021.
Washington travel guide
Although Washington, the capital of the USA, is not very prominent in terms of touristic attractions, it has many places that deserve to be visited.
The White House, where the US presidents stayed, is of course the most important of these points. Apart from the White House, there are the following places to visit in the city; The American Congress Building, also known as the Capitol, which attracts attention with its distinctive architecture, the Washington Monument, which is one of the iconic buildings of the city and has the title of the world’s tallest obelisk, the Lincoln Memorial, one of the most popular buildings in the city, and the National Air and Space Museum, where original aircraft are exhibited, The Jefferson Memorial, built in memory of Thomas Jefforson, one of the founders of the United States and the third president, the Washington National Cathedral, which stands out with its Neo-Gothic architecture, Georgetown, which dates back to the 1700s, and the World War II National Memorial, built in 2004 in memory of the soldiers who participated in the Second World War. World War II National Memorial.
Seattle Tacoma airport information
The most preferred method of transportation from the airport to the city center is Light Rail Trains. Tickets for the trains departing from the 4th floor of the parking lot in the harbor can be obtained from the kiosk machines at the stations. The trains depart from the station every 10 minutes and arrive at the city center in about 40 minutes. Trains run daily from Monday to Saturday between 05:00 am and 01:00 am. On Sundays, trains run from 5 am to midnight.
There is a taxi stand on the 3rd floor of the parking lot at the airport. The journey by taxi takes 20 minutes on average. There are offices of many car rental companies inside the airport. Those who want to reach the city center with a rental car or their own vehicle should take the Airport Expressway, WA-518 W and exit at WA-99 N Western Ave. The journey takes 15-20 minutes by private car.
There is also a seaplane service for those planning to go to another port city from the airport. It is possible to reach many parts of the country with the planes belonging to Kenmore Air.
