Seattle Sea-Tac Airport (SEA)
History, Facts and Overview

(Seattle, Washington - WA, USA)

Built by the Port of Seattle during the early forties, construction of Seattle Tacoma Airport cost more than $1 million. Post-war, commercial flights began operating and by 1950, a number of prominent airlines were based here, including Northwest Airlines, who offered services to Japan.

By 1960, the runway was extended to accommodate the modern, larger jet planes and the next decade saw further growth, resulting in the addition of a new runway. The 1970s were an expensive time for Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA), when over $100 million was spent buying up houses and nearby buildings, easing problems with noise pollution. More recently, a controversial new runway has been built, costing Sea-Tac more than $1 billion.


Facilities at Seattle Tacoma Airport are extensive and include a range of financial services, such as cash machines operated by US Bank, Travelex foreign exchange and coin changing machines. Airline passenger paging is also available onsite, while Seattle passengers in need of assistance should head to one of the airport's information and ground transportation booths.

Further airport facilities include mobile phone charging kiosks, a meditation room, Wayport Wi-Fi, a US mailbox, a massage bar, luggage storage, In Motion DVD rental, and the comprehensive Laptop Lane business center, which resides within the North Satellite terminal. Around 20 different shops can be found at Seattle Tacoma Airport, including favorites such as Borders Books, Hudson News, Made in Washington and Club Jet Duty Free. Also worth noting, more than 30 restaurants are now on site, including popular eateries such as the Alaska Lodge, Chili's Too and the Seattle Taproom, where microbrews and hearty American 'pub' meals are served, including meatloaf and burgers.