Item No.      7B 
Meeting Date   January 27, 2015 
SUSTAINABLE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN 
(SAMP) 
Update: January 27, 2015

Briefing Outline 
Overview 
Airport Economic Engine 
SEA Activity Forecast 
Forecast Implications/Challenges 
Development Constraints 
2034 Planning Goals & Facility Requirements 
Challenges, Options, & Next Steps 
Airfield 
Terminal 
Landside 
Planning Schedule 
Challenges/Anticipated Actions (Near-Term) 
Sustainability 
Public Outreach Plan 

2

Overview 

Rapid growth and a constrained operational footprint requires strategic
land use planning and future Commission policy decisions to provide
needed capacity 
Gaining clarity regarding implications of projected growth in passengers
and operations  and the necessary facility changes 
Developing and evaluating options to meet facility requirements 
Will need to utilize properties beyond those now a part of the airfield
and terminal complex. 
The optimal airport layout  maintaining airfield capacity and adding
terminal capacity  will require relocation of existing facilities 
Understanding these tradeoffs and the repercussions of balancing needs
will be a next step 

3

Airport Economic Engine 

Sea-Tac serves as critical regional and national asset 
More than 170,000 jobs attributable to airport activity 
$6.1 billion in total personal income 
$16.3 billion in business revenue 
Growth in air service supports regional economic activity 
Each new international flight generates an estimated $75 million
annually in direct and indirect economic impact to the region 
Keeping freight moving supports local and regional businesses 
Connects region to the global economy 
Creates new jobs in local communities 
Aeronautical jobs  airlines, airline contractors, flight kitchens, aircraft
maintenance 
Airport and visitor jobs  dining/retail, hotels, parking 
Construction jobs 

4

SEA Activity Forecast 
Drivers of domestic and international passenger activity 
Domestic originating passenger demand has strong historic
correlation with key economic indicators 
Inflation-adjusted airfares projected to decline long-term
PSRC forecast:per capita income growth in Puget Sound region higher than
national average 
Domestic connecting passenger growth tied to airport's ongoing role
as hub for Alaska Airlines, and development of Seattle as a Delta Air
Lines domestic connecting hub and international gateway 
International originating passenger demand supported by Seattle
economic profile and airline business plans 
Location of global business communities 
Proximity to Asia 
International connecting passenger activity driven by continued
development of Airport as gateway for Delta and foreign-flag
airlines. 

5

SEA Activity Forecast 
Passengers and operations 
Rapid growth in recent years 
Passengers: up 4.7% in 2013 & 7.5% in 2014 
Aircraft operations:up 2.5% in 2013 & 6.9% in 2014 
Airport traffic will grow by 28.5 million annual passengers (MAP)
and 190,000 aircraft operations in next 20 years 
66 million annual passengers (up from 37.5 million in 2014) 
540,000 annual operations (up from 350,000 in 2014) 




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Forecast Implications/Challenges 
Airfield 
36% more aircraft on the airfield during peak hours 
2014 peak hour:88 operations 
2034 peak hour:120 operations 
Operational delays begin at 90 operations per hour today 
Airfield impact 
Efficiency exponentially decreases as the airfield reaches and exceeds
capacity 
Severe congestion along taxiway in front of terminal caused by departures
queue and push back from gates 
Departing aircraft significantly delayed due to runway crossings by
arriving aircraft 
Departures delays compounded by shift to larger aircraft 


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Forecast Implications/Challenges 
Terminal 
58% more departing passengers in the terminal during peak hours 
2014 peak hour:5,180 passengers 
2034 peak hour:8,170 passengers 
70% more arriving passengers in the terminal during peak hours 
2014 peak hour:5,040 passengers 
2034 peak hour:8,550 passengers 
Terminal impact 
Check-in:processing has become increasingly efficient, but significant
expansion of bag drop positions will be required 
Security screening:current configuration of checkpoints is inefficient and
future passenger loads will likely exceed capacity 
Baggage claim:at or near capacity today  increased loads will cause
congestion at claim devices and a low level of customer service 

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Forecast Implications/Challenges 
Landside 
42% more vehicles on Upper Drive during morning peak 
2014 peak hour:1,240 vehicles 
2034 peak hour:1,760 vehicles 
61% more vehicles on Lower Drive during evening peak 
2014 peak hour:1,170 vehicles 
2034 peak hour:1,880 vehicles 
Landside impact 
Upper drive sidewalk congestion creates a low level of service today  
passenger safety and access to the terminal will be severely compromised
in 2034 without improvements 
Traffic accessing terminal drives backs-up to control tower and
occasionally onto SR 518 today  roadways will gridlock by 2034 without
significant capital improvements 

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Development Constraints 
Environmental, airspace, and land use constraints severely limit expansion options 









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Development Constraints 
Airport Comparison 
No US airport handles comparable passenger volumes with as
small an operational footprint as SEA 






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Development Constraints 
Land Allocation 
Western operational boundary of airfield is 16R-34L (no 4th runway) 
Three runways are needed in 2034 (cannot push terminal edge west) 
No terminal facilities west of 16R/34L (topography, wetlands) 
Limited footprint requires prioritization of land uses and complex
phasing plan. Functional priorities for property allocation: 
Passenger terminal 
Airfield 
Landside 
Cargo 
Airline support 
Airport support 
General aviation 

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2034 Planning Goals 
Gates 
Accommodate all planned, peak hour activity at aircraft parking positions
with direct terminal access (no remote busing operations) 
Minimum Connect Time (MCT) (people & baggage) 
60 minute MCT with 20-year SAMP improvements 
Dining and Retail 
Adequate concessions and amenities space to optimize revenue and meet
customer expectations 
Cargo 
Sufficient warehouse and hardstand facilities to meet demand 
Roadways 
Reliable terminal access with minimal delay 
Parking -- TBD 
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2034 Facility Requirements  What We Know Now 

35 additional aircraft parking positions with direct terminal access
("gates")  after eight new gates at NSAT 
Providing gates will drive overall airport plan, toppling dominoes airport wide 
International Arrival Facility (IAF) 
27 international widebody gates (vs 11 in 2014& 18 in 2019) 
2,200 passengers per hour processing capacity 
400,000-500,000 total square feet of cargo warehouse (based on SAMP
forecasted growth) 
Warehouse space will need to be consolidated and potentially mechanized to
accommodate projected growth 
Currently assessing ramp space requirements 
Analyzing potential to accommodate Century Agenda growth 


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2034 Facility Requirements  Still Evaluating

Airport access roadways, terminal drives and parking 
Terminal 
Check-in  Expanded current terminal or additional terminal? 
Security screening 
Holdrooms 
Dining & retail 
Baggage systems 
Campus-wide "Automated People Mover" (APM) (RCF to terminal;
between terminals; terminal(s) to remote concourses) 
Airline support 
Aircraft maintenance & Ground Run-up Enclosure (GRE) 
Airport support 
Airport Rescue and Firefighting station (ARFF) 
Ground Service Equipment (GSE) maintenance 

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Airfield 
Challenges 
Additional airfield connected land required to meet demand 

Aircraft bridge over creek and potential
South Access roadway corridor 








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Airfield 
Challenges 
Accommodate 120 peak hour operations (up from 88 - with no
airfield expansion) 
Increase airfield efficiency to make full use of three runway
system 
Minimize runway crossings 
Reduce congestion on Taxiway B and improve access to/from south end
gates in north flow 
Other factors that impact airfield capacity 
Closely spaced runways require staggered arrivals 
Interactions with Boeing Field create departure and arrival delays 


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Airfield 
Options 
End-around taxiways 
70% of operations (all Group III) could avoid crossing departures runways 
Minor reduction in take-off weight for large, long-haul international flights 
Center runway could become primary departure runway  significant increase in
efficiency/capacity 
Existing Conditions 
Taxiway A extension 
Doubles queuing capacity 
Provides a bypass on
south end taxiway system 
Improves access to/from
south end gates & SASA 
Future Conditions 


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Airfield 
Next Steps 
Alternatives analysis (detailed modeling will determine efficiency benefits of
airfield improvements) 
Further develop potential capital and operational fixes 
Airfield and terminal ramp modeling 
Feasibility and cost/benefit 
Coordination with FAA 



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Terminal: Gates & Check-in 
Challenges 
Aircraft parking positions with direct terminal access ("gates") 
Provide 35 additional gates 
Expand terminal in manner that: 
Will be operationally efficient 
Will connect widebody gates to IAF with good customer service 
Can be phased with least disruption to existing facilities 
Remain Over Night (RON) aircraft parking positions 
Locate required RON north and south of the expanded terminal to
minimize operational impacts of towing 
Passenger processing capacity 
Can we support 35 additional gates with a single, expanded terminal? 
Or is a second terminal needed to supporting new gates to north? 
How do we connect passengers between new concourses and terminal(s)? 

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Terminal: Gates & Check-in 
Options 
Expansion is needed north and south to provide additional gates 
Early decisions: 
Concourse A extensionor additional south satellite, and 
Piers north of existing terminal or North Satellite extension 
Based on decision above, then decide: 
Expand current terminal and/or build additional terminal to the north 




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Terminal: Gates -- South 
Concourse A Extension                 Additional South Satellite 
Pros                           Pros 
Meets international gate requirement 
Meets international gate requirement 
Widebody gate connection to IAF
Yields more gates 
through Concourse appears better 
Does not require lidding over S 188th ST      Cons 
Dual taxilanes between new gates and       Difficult widebody gates connection to IAF 
SSAT                           Requires lidding over S 188th ST 
Cons                           Single taxilane between new gates and
SSAT 
Yields fewer gates 





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Terminal: Gates -- North 
North Piers                        North Satellite Extension 
Pros                            Pros 
Meets domestic gate requirement               Meets domestic gate requirement 
Straightforward opportunity for second terminal
Cons 
(if required) 
May not require relocation of southbound lanes of     Pushback onto taxiway impacts operations 
North Airport Expressway (if no second terminal)      Limited opportunity for second terminal if required 
Can more easily phase gates additions             Requires relocation of southbound lanes of the
Easier to accommodate widebody aircraft 
North Airport Expressway (NAE) 
Gate phasing has more impact to existing facilities 
Cons 
Limited ability to accommodate widebody aircraft 
Challenge connecting passengers to the north        Challenge connecting passengers to the north 






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Terminal: Check-in 
Options  Main Terminal Expansion
Expand Main Terminal to the east and north 
Expand check-in lobby to the east and north 
Link screening check-points to APM access to remote gates 
Expand bag claim to the north 






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Terminal: Check-in 
Options  Additional Terminal to the North 
Construct second terminal to support north gates 
Connect existing terminal and north terminal with APM 
Provide landside access, curb, and parking 
Provide pedestrian connection to gates over/under North Airport Expressway 






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Terminal 
Next Steps 
Detailed analysis of expansion options 
Cost/benefit of south and north expansion options 
Cost/benefit and feasibility of terminal expansion to the east/north 
Capacity analysis to determine if second terminal is needed 
Incorporate non-terminal functions into overall terminal plan 
Coordinate terminal-related facilities planning 
Check-in/Bag drop 
Curbside 
Security screening 
Automated People Mover (APM) 
Baggage systems 
Holdrooms; Dining & retail; vertical circulation 
Airfield and terminal ramp modeling 
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Landside 
Challenges 
Upper and Lower Drive expansion difficult 
Expensive 
Construction impacts on operations 
Expressway access to parking / Upper/Lower Drives
exceedingly narrow 
Regional roadways outside of direct Port control 
SR 509 extension has been delayed for decades 
Phasing of South Access needs to be modeled and evaluated
RCF bus traffic contributes to congestion accessing the drives 
Anticipated eventual automated people mover when RCF was built 


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Landside 
Challenges 
All traffic accessing the airport funnels through a bottleneck on the
North Airport Expressway (NAE) 
Ground
Transportation
Lot (GT lot) 

Parking 
Garage                           Ramp
Apron 


Light Rail 

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Landside 
Options - Upper Drive Expansion 
Widen Upper Drive 
Add 3rd lane to Upper and Lower Drive access 
Potentially divert demand to alternate drop-off locations 
Complex interaction with terminal expansion options 




29

Landside 
Options - Upper Drive in Parking Garage 
Relocate Upper Drive into garage 
Enables expansion of main terminal to the east 
Provides additional clearance on 3rd floor ground transportation curb for buses 
Provides opportunities for APM connection to main terminal 

Relocating Upper Drive into garage
enables terminal expansion 



Raising pedestrian bridge to fifth floor
provides adequate clearance for buses 
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Landside 
Next Steps 
Critical and organic interaction between possible terminal
expansion and curb/garage options 
Continue refining curbside relocation/expansion alternatives 
Feasibility of required modifications to curbs and garage 
Cost/benefit 
Landside modeling 
Drives capacity/demand analysis 
Connections to regional roadway system 
Integration of opportunities, costs, and impacts of terminal and
landside options 


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Planning Schedule 
Activity forecast(completed Q3 2014  in FAA review Q1 2015) 
Alternatives analysis & plan development(Q4 2014  Q3 2015) 
Iterative process, finalizing facility requirements and developing preferred
development alternative 
Commission engagement at key decision points                   Stakeholder &
Alternatives
Public
Analysis 
Constructability assessment                                Involvement 
Phased implementation plan 
Planning level cost estimates 
Program plan of finance(Q4 2015  Q1 2016) 
Stakeholder &
Facilities
Environmental review(Q3 2015  Q4 2016)     Public
Requirements 
Involvement 





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Challenges/Anticipated Actions 
Near-Term 
Challenges 
Shortage of gates over the next 5 to 10 years 
Where/when to build interim remote gate lobby? 
Additional gate capacity will be needed soon after completion of IAF &
NorthSTAR 
Check-in processing becoming increasingly efficient, but nearly all existing
positions will be utilized in 2015 
Security screening rates have increased with implementation of PreCheck,
but current configuration of checkpoints is inefficient 
Anticipated actions prior to completion of SAMP environmental 
Remote hardstand operations and busing starting in 2016 
Potentially construct interim remote gate lobby 
Expand check-in and reconfigure security checkpoint in zone 7 
Provide additional bag drop on promenade level in zone 6 

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Sustainability 

Draft Strategy for a Sustainable Sea-Tac (S3) 
Builds on our Environmental Strategy Plan 2009  2014 
Includes sustainability objectives, social responsibility and economic
sustainability 
Commission briefing February 10th 
Draft strategy Spring 2015 
S3 integration into SAMP 
S3 objectives and initiatives evaluated throughout the SAMP process to
ensure that capital development is planned in the most sustainable manner
possible 
Environmental sustainability objectives used as part of screening criteria in
evaluating concepts 
Environmental sustainability objectives will be evaluated extensively in proposed
new buildings and renovations of existing buildings 
Final, long-term plan will include management initiatives (in addition to capital
improvements) to ensure airport meet its sustainability goals and objectives in
future years 

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Public Outreach 

Public outreach planning 
Phase I: Series of meetings with local officials and stakeholders 
Phase II: Conduct 3 public outreach & comment meetings 
1st Public Meeting (February-March 2015):SAMP process, goals, forecast,
and development concepts 
2nd Public Meeting (Spring 2015): Preliminary development alternatives 
3rd Public Meeting (Summer 2015): Preferred development alternative 





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