COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          11a 
BRIEFING ITEM                            Date of Meeting        May 14, 2024 
DATE:     April 22, 2024 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Lance Lyttle, Managing Director, Aviation Division 
Marco Milanese, Senior Community Engagement Manager, External Relations 
Eric Schinfeld, Senior Federal and International Government Relations Manager,
External Relations 
SUBJECT:  SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) 2023 Annual Report 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
In 2018, the Port of Seattle launched the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) in
partnership with the Highline Forum-member cities and other representational entities to
enhance cooperation and tackle the issues of most relevance to Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport’s (SEA’s) neighboring cities. 
StART provides the Port of Seattle with a dedicated forum intended specifically for discussing and
tackling airport and aviation industry concerns from Highline Forum-member cities and their
residents. With the Port, the FAA, the primary air carriers, and the airport’s neighboring cities all
represented around the table, StART brings together all the relevant parties with a common 
purpose to share information, collaborate and achieve results. 
StART’s major accomplishments are primarily the result of efforts initiated by its two working
groups: the Aviation Noise Working Group and the Federal Policy Working Group. 
StART OVERVIEW 
Cognizant of SEA Airport’s traffic and location within a dense residential and commercial area in
the Puget Sound, the Port of Seattle is committed to building open relationships with the
community and local cities that foster trust, accountability, and collaboration.  An important
component of that commitment was the creation of StART in early 2018.
The Port of Seattle developed StART to enhance cooperation between the Port and the Highline
Forum-member cities of SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Tukwila, and Federal
Way. This voluntary, non-governing, regional roundtable is convened by the Aviation Managing
Director and was developed in partnership with the leadership from the Highline Forum-member
cities and other representational entities. 
StART provides all parties with the opportunity to: 

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 2 of 6 
Meeting Date: May 14, 2024 
• Support meaningful and collaborative public dialogue and engagement on airport-related
issues; 
• Provide an opportunity for the Highline Forum-member cities to inform airport-related
decision-making; 
• Raise public knowledge about the airport; and 
• Most significantly, focus on practical solutions to address community concerns about
aircraft operations and the airport. 
Each of the neighboring cities designates three members to serve on StART, two community
representatives and a city employee, who are joined by representatives from Alaska Airlines and
Delta Air Lines, an air cargo representative and Port staff. The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) provides agency expertise. 
Meetings, in 2023, were facilitated by Brian Scott and Andres Mantilla from Uncommon Bridges
with assistance from Dori Krupanics and Cheryl Swab. 
For the last several years, StART has staffed two working groups to empower StART’s members
to work on identified priorities between StART meetings: the Aviation Noise (AN) Working Group
and the Federal Policy (FP) Working Group. 
StART MEMBERSHIP 
The size and extent of StART’s membership is a decision solely made by StART’s Steering
Committee, which was established to provide support, guidance and strategic direction for
StART. StART’s Steering Committee has given consideration to requests by other communities
to join StART and has decided to retain the current size of the membership due to the shared
belief that the experience of the close-in Highline Forum-member cities is different and more
multi-faceted than the experience of further out communities.
Changes to StART’s membership or to any of StART’s Operating Procedures cannot be made
solely by the Port of Seattle.  Consensus-based guidance is what shapes all decisions taken by
StART’s Steering Committee, StART’s working groups, and StART itself.
AVIATION NOISE WORKING GROUP 
Since its inception, StART’s AN Working Group, with a mission to prioritize and explore potential
near-term actions to reduce and prevent aviation noise, has made its focus its Aviation Nearterm
Noise Action Agenda which includes several programs  and efforts, some already
implemented and others in development, intended to provide aviation noise relief to the Highline
Forum-member cities. 


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Meeting Date: May 14, 2024 
The AN Working Group is comprised of a subset of StART members, Port staff and additional staff
from the Highline Forum-member cities and other representational entities along with a noise
consultant to provide expert advice.
In 2023, the AN Working Group began to make a pivot primarily due to the extensive groundwork 
already covered during the Aviation Near-term Noise Action Agenda’s development in previous
years. Work  with the agenda continued but with more of a focus on results monitoring,
considering refinements, if needed, and promoting the agenda’s outcomes both with internal
and external audiences.
The AN Working Group also discussed several noise-related topics at meetings that Port staff 
believed would expand the group’s overall understanding of the noise environment or StART
members expressed interest in exploring more. These included a legal dive into avigation
easements, ongoing noise insulation efforts, air cargo trends at SEA, the utilization of optimized
profile descents at SEA and when and why aircraft go-arounds occur.
Additionally, the AN Working Group began to make its transition to serving as the SEA Part 150
Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study’s Technical Review Committee.  A Part 150 Study is
required by the FAA to update airport noise programs and establish eligibility for FAA grant funds.
SEA’s last Part 150 Study was completed and approved by the FAA in 2014.  Airports typically
stand up a Technical Review Committee during a Part 150 Study and task it with providing
technical input and guidance throughout the life of the study. 
Aviation Near-term Noise Action Agenda – 2023 Highlights 
In 2023, the AN Working Group continued its work with monitoring  the agenda’s programs and
efforts and developing and finalizing new programs and efforts to include within the agenda .
Highlights in 2023 include:
(1)      Encouraging Continuous Taxi to Takeoffs – Recommended in StART’s Ground
Noise Study, continuous taxi to takeoffs, also known as rolling takeoffs, have less of a noise
footprint than traditional takeoffs that require aircraft to power up after coming to a complete
stop. In coordination with the FAA, the air carriers and the members of the AN Working Group,
new, voluntary SEA language promoting continuous taxi to takeoffs was enacted mid-2023 and
followed by a summer air carrier awareness campaign to encourage greater use by pilots. 
(2)      Promoting Single-engine Taxiing – Also recommended in StART’s Ground Noise
Study, single-engine taxiing is an established practice with many air carriers and though it has a
modest effect on reducing noise, it does have a measurable effect on reducing aircraft emissions.
Language promoting its use is in development and when complete, will be shared with the AN
Working Group for consideration. 
Aviation Near-term Noise Action Agenda – Earlier Achievements 

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 4 of 6 
Meeting Date: May 14, 2024 
(1)      Late Night Noise Limitation Program  – The Program is a voluntary effort to reduce
late night (12:00 AM to 5:00 AM) noise by incentivizing air carriers to fly at less noise sensitive
hours or transition to quieter aircraft.  The Program commenced in July 2019 with regular
reporting each quarter to StART, air carriers and other external audiences. Four noise monitors
track all late night operations between the hours of 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM and capture any
takeoffs or landings above established noise thresholds. In early 2021, the program achieved its
first success with EVA Air’s switch to the quieter 787 during the late night hours. Previously, EVA
Airways flew the 777 and was routinely the air carrier that topped the list of late night air carriers
with the most noise exceedances.  In 2023, FedEx Express, which had been the late night air
carrier with the most noise exceedances post-EVA Airways, began incorporating into their fleet
the quieter 767 in place of the older and noisier MD-11. FedEx  Express’ decision quickly 
demonstrated success with the Program’s 2023 second quarter results confirming that FedEx was
no longer the air carrier with the most noise exceedances during the late night hours. Leadership
from the Port and the Highline-member cities sent a congratulatory letter to FedEx Express
encouraging the carrier to continue forward with their fleet renewal efforts.
(2)      Runway Use Plan – The Informal Runway Use Plan, implemented in late 2019,
minimizes use of the Third Runway during the late-night hours (12:00 AM to 5:00 AM). Late night
operations on the Third Runway have dropped dramatically since implementation of the Runway
Use Plan from a typical average of 12 to 13 operations during the late night hours pre-Runway
Use Plan to a 2023 average of less than two operations per night post-Runway Use Plan 
implementation. And on 240 of the late nights in 2023, there were zero operations on the Third
Runway.
(3)      Glide  Slope  Adjustment  –  The  goal  is  to  raise  Runway  34R’s glideslope  to
lessen aircraft approach noise. Implementation is contingent on the Sustainable Airport Master
Plan’s (SAMP) finalization and FAA approval .
(4)      Noise Comment Reporting – The Port provides up-to-date, accessible information
on noise complaints and comments submitted by the public. Online monthly reporting began
with June 2020 with updates provided at all AN Working Group meetings. 
(5)      Discouraging Reverse Thrust – Identified as a noise source in the Ground Noise
Study, reverse thrust is used by pilots to deaccelerate aircraft upon landing. In coordination with
the FAA, the air carriers and the members of the AN Working Group, updated language
discouraging the use of reverse thrust at SEA at all times of the day and beyond what is necessary 
was implemented in early 2023 and followed by a summer air carrier awareness campaign. 
FEDERAL POLICY WORKING GROUP 
Because the Port of Seattle is extremely limited in its authority to address some of the core
concerns that local residents have expressed about aviation activities, StART formed the FP
Working Group as a way to identify areas of consensus and collaboration between the Port and
the Highline Forum-member cities on new tools, new authorities, new resources, new
approaches and new engagement from the federal government, and to engage Members of
Congress in pushing for these shared priorities. The FP Working Group has developed and
continues to implement a shared Port-Cities Federal Policy Priorities agenda. 

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 5 of 6 
Meeting Date: May 14, 2024 

The FP Working Group is comprised of a subset of StART members, Port staff, and additional staff
from the Highline Forum-member cities along with US Congressional staff from offices that
represent the Highline Forum-member cities.
Last year, the FP Working Group prioritized advocacy surrounding the FAA Reauthorization Act
as well as several agency rulemakings related to aircraft emissions standards and FAA noise
policies. 
In particular, the Port and the airport cities successfully identified seven shared federal policy
priorities for proposed inclusion in the FAA Reauthorization Act: 
1)  Reducing the impact of overflight noise on near-airport communities by: 
a.  Advocating for US Senator Murray’s and US Representative Smith’s legislation to allow
for homes located within the airport’s current FAA-recognized noise contour that
meet broader criteria for “failed” insulation to be eligible for secondary investments
–  particularly  those  homes  where  the  warranty  has  expired,  or  the  product
manufacturer is out-of-business and therefore unavailable to honor warranties. 
b.  Advocating for US Representative Smith’s Aviation Noise and Emissions Mitigation
Act, which would empower the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to play a
productive role in addressing community concerns about aircraft noise and emissions.
This legislation would support the collection of data and then fund initiatives to
mitigate aircraft noise and emissions. These new tools could make a significant
difference, particularly in terms of environmental justice. 
c.   Instituting a deadline for action and a stakeholder advisory committee on the FAA
Noise Policy Review (NPR). Without a clear timeline and deadline for whether and
how the FAA may act on the results of the NPR, airports and communities are stuck in
a frustrating limbo of uncertainty. The FP Working Group also believes that the FAA
could use a wider range of input on this challenging and complicated topic. 
2)  Reducing aircraft emissions through: 
a.  Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) incentives and investments including those contained
in the Inflation Reduction Act. The FP Working Group urges Congress to direct the FAA
to do everything possible to successfully implement these policies in ways that move
the United States toward the Biden-Harris’ Administration’s SAF Grand Challenge goal
of producing at least three billion gallons per year of SAF by 2030. Similarly, the FP
Working  Group  supports  additional,  complementary  programs, policies,  and
investments that the FAA can undertake to facilitate progress – including but not
limited to collaboration with other federal agencies such as the US Departments of
Energy, Agriculture and Defense. 
b.  Continuing the Environmental Mitigation Pilot Program contained in Section 190 of
the 2018 FAA Reauthorization. The FP Working Group supports the authorization of
this program at six million dollars per year, because of its potential to support
innovative technology solutions to reduce aircraft noise and emissions. 

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 6 of 6 
Meeting Date: May 14, 2024 
c.   Advocating  for  US  Representative Smith’s  Protecting  Airport  Communities from
Particle Emissions Act which would bring more federal attention and engagement on
the sources, characteristics, dispersion, and potential health effects of ultrafine
particulates from aircraft engines. 
3)  Addressing regional airport capacity needs by ensuring FAA support for new regional airport
capacity. In particular, the FP Working Group would like to see policy language in the FAA
Reauthorization legislation that 1) clarifies the process for FAA regulatory review and agency
collaboration with cities and states in high air travel demand regions looking to invest in new
airport capacity; and 2) provides additional FAA guidance on necessary steps to implement
any final decisions from the State of Washington’s Commercial Aviation Working Group. 
A key part of the advocacy for the federal policy priorities was the first ever StART DC Fly-in,
which brought two dozen local elected officials and staff from the airport communities and the
Port to Washington, DC to meet with Congress and the FAA. Thanks in large part to those efforts,
four of the  priorities were included in the House and/or Senate versions of the FAA
Reauthorization Act as of March 2024, with a final bill expected to be passed through Congress
by May 10: items 1a, 1c, 2c, and 3 above. 
In addition, the Federal Policy Working Group submitted several joint comment letters on agency
rulemakings, including a highly detailed response to the FAA’s Noise Policy Review. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1) Aviation Near-term Noise Action Agenda Summary 
(2) Port-Cities 2023 FAA Reauthorization Priorities One Pager 
(3) 2023 StART Annual Report – Overview 
(4) 2023 StART Annual Report – Federal Policy Working Group 
(5) 2023 StART Annual Report – Aviation Noise Working Group 
(6) Presentation Slides 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
March 28, 2023 – The Commission was briefed on StART’s 2022 Annual Report 
March 22, 2022 – The Commission was briefed on StART’s 2021 Annual Report 
March 9, 2020 – The Commission was briefed on StART’s 2019 Annual Report 
January 22, 2019 – The Commission was briefed on StART’s 2018 Annual Report 




Template revised September 22, 2016.