Item No. 11a
Date of Meeting: December 8, 2020
www.flySEA.org


AVIATION 2020 FEDERAL AGENDA
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is one of the nation's busiest and fastest-growing airports. As a key contributor to
regional and statewide travel, commerce and job creation, we are focused on developing more modern, high-tech facilities
that will speed travelers on their way; better connecting the Puget Sound region to the world; maximizing the environmental
sustainability of our operations; and ensuring that our local communities and residents thrive. The federal government can help
us achieve this vision by:
I. INVESTING IN OUR AIRPORT                     II. ACCOMMODATING PASSENGER GROWTH
As one of the fastest growing airports in the country,               With growing passenger demand at SEA, keeping our
SEA is investing billions in airport renovations and new             airport's security screening checkpoints as efficient as
infrastructure. In particular, we seek to:                              possible is essential to accommodating travelers in a safe and
a.  Increase Self-Funding Flexibility: We will be a              customer service-oriented manner. In particular, we seek to:
national leader on the effort to modernize the                  a.  Increase Transportation Security Administration
Passenger Facility Charge user fee  raising the                     (TSA) Screening Capacity: We support TSA efforts to
federal cap from $4.50 while maintaining the Port                 authorize additional passenger screening canine teams
Commission's ability to determine whether or not to               and hire new officers, as well as implement innovative
change the user fee based on locally determined needs           solutions  like expansion of PreCheck and use of new
and competitive dynamics.                                     technologies. In addition, we will fight to preserve TSA
b.  Increase Federal Funding: We support passage of                 funding for Law Enforcement Officer reimbursement
an infrastructure investment package that includes                grants and reimbursements for checkpoint-area
funding for our nation's airport system.                             janitorial services.
c.  Build Federal Support: We will work closely with               b.  Increase Customs and Border Protection (CPB)
federal agencies and members of Congress to                   Screening Capacity: We support increased funding for
ensure their support for in-progress and future                   CBP officers, specifically for airport positions. We will
capital projects, including the Sustainable Airport                also coordinate with CBP leadership to ensure seamless
Master Plan near-term projects currently under                  operational readiness and activation planning for our
environmental review.                                         new International Arrivals Facility (IAF)  including
use of new technologies for international arrivals
screening and maximizing the number of CBP officers
SEA AT A GLANCE                             available and trained for the IAF opening. Finally,
By the Numbers                                   we will support federal legislation on biometric
technology and associated data collection that
The eighth busiest airport in North America                              balances operational needs with protections for
51.8 million annual passengers                                         privacy, equity and civil liberties.
Over 1,200 takeoffs and landings on average per day
c.  Increase the Efficiency and Safety of our Airport
Thirty airlines serve 91 non-stop domestic and                            and Airspace: We support airport industry
27 international destinations                                           recommendations to improve the integration,
More than 453,000 metric tons of air cargo                               detection, identification, and mitigation of Unmanned
Economic Impact                                 Aircraft Systems (UAS) in and around airports. Similarly,
we encourage a consistent and predictable federal
SEA is a world-class facility with a regional                               approach to urban air mobility (UAM) deployment.
economic impact of more than $16.3 billion                              Finally, we encourage expedited deployment of the
Generates about 172,000 jobs                                          FAA's Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) airfield
More than $2.8 billion in direct earnings                                 congestion management program at SEA in order to
Over $565 million in state and local taxes                                improve flow and efficiency on the airfield.

III. CONNECTING US TO THE WORLD               IV. ADDRESSING COMMUNITY IMPACT
SEA is truly an international gateway, and the success of our        As our airport grows, we are focused on how that growth
airport depends being able to present a welcoming face to        impacts our surrounding communities. Federal legislation
the international visitors, immigrants and refugees who travel      and regulation can help us:
through or work at our facility. To continue in this capacity,            a.   Fight Climate Change: We support comprehensive
we seek to:                                                              proposals for sector-specific and economy-wide
a.  Welcome International Travelers and Residents: We              solutions to address the climate crisis with legislation
will be a leading voice on comprehensive immigration            to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other
policies that ensure the Port, its partner and its                     harmful toxic pollutants while providing flexibility
customers have the workforce to succeed in the global            to respond to changing market conditions and
economy, and that immigrants and refugees are fully              technological advances.
welcomed into the opportunities that our region's              b.  Implement Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF): We
economy provides  including permanent legal                  will engage federal partners to help us take next
protections for immigrant children currently eligible               steps toward widespread use of SAF at our airport. In
for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)              particular, we will seek authority for airports to use
program and partnerships with key local stakeholders             airport revenue and federal grant funding to support
to implement programs that showcase the Port as a               the air quality and carbon reduction benefits of
welcoming gateway for immigrants and refugees.                fuel switching, and to leverage the U.S. Department
b.  Lower Trade Barriers: We support policies that                     of Defense as a key partner in SAF research and
level playing fields for international commerce while               implementation. We also support new and expanded
protecting workers and the environment. In addition,              federal funding for research on SAF, as well as for
we believe that tariffs should be a measure of last                  feedstock processing and fuel production facilities.
resort and  when necessary  carefully and narrowly           c.   Address Airplane Noise and Air Quality: We will
targeted to minimize impacts on American producers             advocate for the shared federal agenda developed
and consumers. We believe tariff collection revenues               by the airport and its six surrounding cities  both
should be prioritized toward trade promotion and                ensuring timely and impactful implementation of key
freight infrastructure, as well as programs that lessen               provisions of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization's noise
retaliatory tariff losses by U.S. exporters.                             section, as well as supporting changes to federal
c.  Facilitate Air Travel: We support steps to increase                  policies, regulations and programs like legislation
and facilitate tourism into the United States, including              to create a federal study of aviation-related ultrafine
funding for tourism promotion and additional                    particulates and legislation to allow for secondary
preclearance agreements. In addition, we will                      noise mitigation investments in previously insulated
continue to coordinate with federal agencies on                  homes, in specific situations where those noise
implementation of REAL ID by the 2020 deadline.                reduction packages failed or were flawed in some way.
We will also monitor discussions related to increased          d.  Protect Passenger and Airport Worker Safety: We
access for Seattle-based flights into Ronald Reagan               will partner with federal agencies to improve human
Washington National Airport.                                   trafficking prevention and intervention efforts. In
addition, we will engage with FAA leadership to
speed the transition to non-fluorinated airfield firefighting
foams.
e.  Increase Economic & Workforce Development:
For more information on the Port of Seattle's                   We will engage actively in supporting policies and
federal legislative agenda, contact:                            programs that boost economic, workforce and tourism
Eric Schinfeld, Port of Seattle                              development, and augment existing Port efforts to
Senior Manager Federal & Int'l Gov't Relations                support small and minority-owned businesses and
(206) 787-5031 | Schinfeld.E@portseattle.org                  local residents' quality of life. This includes supporting
federal efforts to ensure an accurate 2020 Census.

P.O. Box 1209
Seattle, WA 98111
www.portseattle.org     (206) 787-3000

Printed on recycled paper                                    02/2020