PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      3c 
STAFF BRIEFING 
Date of Meeting     June 28, 2016 
DATE:    June 10, 2016 
TO:     Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Elizabeth Leavitt, Director, Senior Director, Environment & Sustainability 
Clare Gallagher, Senior Manager, Public Affairs 
SUBJECT:  Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Roundtable Forum on Environmental
Sustainability and Growth 

SYNOPSIS 
As the Port Commission continues a series of roundtables on topics related to Sea-Tac
Airport's master plan, this memo serves to provide a brief update on the current status of
SAMP planning. Staff will continue to brief the Commission on a number of master plan areas
in a series of on-going briefings, seeking guidance from the Commission, and returning to
Commission with the goal of narrowing the master plan alternatives to one or two alternatives
which will be carried forward into environmental review later in 2016. The next update to the
Commission is scheduled for July 12. The purpose of the Commission Roundtables, scheduled 
across separate commission meetings, will be to examine issues and hear from representatives
in various fields related to airport growth and development. Four roundtables have been
planned, three prior to this final one: 
February 23  Airport of the Future 
March 22  Meeting the Needs of Airlines and the Traveling Public 
April 27  Working with Communities; and 
June 28  Environmental Sustainability and Growth.

SUMMARY OF SAMP PROGRESS 
The SAMP team has completed a currently conducting a third round of airside simulation
modeling to assess the capacity of the existing airfield and potential future capacity with
identified capital improvements. Modeling determined that the airside will reach critical delay 
between 2029 and 2034 and that aprons for holding aircraft (aircraft hold positions) are 
essential to keeping aircraft moving and reducing delay. 
Using the results of the modeling to date, the team allocated land to facilities in key functional
areas based on a hierarchy of importance and the degree to which facility locations were driven
by function. Current modeling will help determine the timing of needed gates and aircraft hold
positions, and also test the layouts of specific facilities to meet 2034 demand. 
The SAMP team evaluated one and two terminal options across a range of criteria in the
following categories: cost, risk, flexibility, development (phasing & constructability) and level
Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
June 10, 2016 
Page 2 of 3 
of service both during and post construction.  Additional work that will help define a
recommended alternative and a future capital program includes: project phasing, cost estimates,
locating support facilities and more detailed planning to set the geometry of a second terminal
and supporting roadways. 
The SAMP team also identified a number of operational strategies and relatively low cost
capital projects that would be beneficial under a one or two terminal solution.
At the Commission's request, staff has organized this series of roundtables around issues
related to airport growth and development, to provide broad context and background on
regional interests and the airport industry beyond Sea-Tac Airport. Presenters include subject
matter experts, representative interests and Port staff. Topics covered at the roundtable on
February 23 included trends in airport growth and development and master planning around the
U.S; advances in passenger handling and facility technology; air cargo and international service 
trends  at Sea-Tac; and regional economic trends.  The March 22 roundtable included 
representatives from U.S. and foreign-flagged carriers operating at Sea-Tac Airport, as well as
a representative from the Puget Sound Business Traveler Association, whose members manage
corporate travel booking for Washington state-based businesses and entities who purchase large
volumes of travel services. The April 27 roundtable was held at night and in a community
center neighboring Sea-Tac Airport, with elected officials and city managers from airport-area
cities, and economic and community development partners operating in those cities. 

BACKGROUND 
In September 2012, the Port Commission approved scope and budget of $6,000,000 for the
creation of a Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). Since October of 2014, staff has briefed
the Commission eight times on the SAMP planning progress, including: forecast results and
challenges associated with planning to accommodate forecast activity; and preliminary options
for terminal, landside and cargo development.
The master plan process provides an opportunity to take a comprehensive assessment of
facilities capacity and forecasted demand over 5-, 10-, and 20-year timeframes. Airport master
plans are typically prepared approximately every 10 years. The last formal master plan for Sea-
Tac was developed in the mid-1990s and was focused primarily on the third runway. 
The primary objective of an airport master plan is to provide a roadmap for the phased
redevelopment/expansion of facilities, maintaining a balance of capacity in all key functional
areas. Overall airport system capacity is limited by functional areas with the least capacity. 
Terminal and landside facilities are generally balanced to the fixed capacity of the airfield.
Through alternatives development and evaluation, the SAMP will culminate in a capital
improvement program and plan of finance that will deliver cost-effective projects to remove
capacity pinch points, increase efficiency, integrate sustainability considerations, and provide a
high level of service to airport customers. 
In November 2015, the Port Commission approved scope and budget of $3,000,000 for the
environmental review process for the SAMP, and the Port subsequently advertised a request for
proposals. Contract negotiations are complete and preliminary work to support environmental
review has begun.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
June 10, 2016 
Page 3 of 3 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
Computer slide presentation. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
April 27, 2016  Commission Roundtable "Working with Communities" 
April 12, 2016  Commission Briefing "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
March 22, 2016  Commission Roundtable "Meeting the Needs of Airlines and the
Traveling Public" 
February 22, 2016  Commission Roundtable "Airport of the Future" 
January 26, 2016  Commission Briefing "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
September 8, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
April 28, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
March 24, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Briefing on Sea-Tac Cargo as part of the
Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)" 
January 27, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
October 7, 2014 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Forecast and Facilities Challenges" 
February 28, 2014 - Commission authorization to amend the existing Sustainable
Airport Master Plan (SAMP) service agreement with Leigh Fisher Associates for IAF-
related planning tasks for an increase of $3,650,000 and a new total contract amount
of $9,650,000 
September 5, 2012 -  Commission authorization for SAMP development and to
advertise and execute a contract for consulting services for the SAMP, with a total
estimated value of $6 million 
August 14, 2012 - Commission deferred consideration of a request to approve funding
for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) 
June 27, 2012 - Commission Briefing: "Terminal Development Challenges"