PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      7a 
STAFF BRIEFING 
Date of Meeting     October 7, 2014 
DATE:    September 15, 2014 
TO:     Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Mark Reis, Managing Director, Aviation Division 
Elizabeth Leavitt, Director, Aviation Planning and Environmental 
SUBJECT:  Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)  Forecast and Facilities
Challenges 
SYNOPSIS 
This briefing provides an overview of the comprehensive and rigorous process to develop
the Airport's operational activity forecast. The activity forecast is the first step in master
planning and includes both aircraft operations and enplanements. The forecast will serve
as the foundation for facility planning as part of the Airport's sustainable master plan
(SAMP). With the draft results of the forecast and a strong indication of near-term
demand based on recent airline activity and announced plans for increased service at Sea-
Tac, we now have a good understanding of long- and near-term gate demand and the
challenges the Airport will face to bring additional capacity on-line and maintain an
acceptable level of service to our customers.
SAMP facility planning is at the earliest stages, which starts with the development and
assessment of terminal expansion concepts to meet  long-term gate requirements.
Understanding the best way to balance terminal/gate capacity to the fixed capacity of the
airfield will drive planning in all other functional areas such as landside, cargo, and
airside & airline support facilities, and will inform a phased approach to facilities
development. Terminal expansion beyond the approved International Arrivals Facility
(IAF) and NorthSTAR projects will impact existing facilities that will need to be
relocated or eliminated, potentially reducing capacity in areas such as cargo or aircraft
maintenance. In the near-term, the soonest new gates could be constructed is ten to
twelve years. At their current stage of design, staff anticipates that construction of the 
IAF and NorthSTAR projects will take a minimum of five gates out of service over the
next six years. Anticipated strong airline growth and already strained gate capacity will
make hardstand operations and busing unavoidable, resulting in a low level of passenger
service. In addition, irregular passenger loads at bus access locations in the terminal will
strain terminal facilities and further imbalance ticket lobby and curb capacity/demand. 
BACKGROUND 
In September 2012, the Port Commission approved scope and budget for the creation of a 
Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) and in February of 2014, increased the SAMP

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
Page 2 of 2 
budget from $6,000,000 to $9,650,000 to include planning support to advance project
definition of the IAF. Planning work is now complete on the IAF project and the draft
forecast of airport activity. Over the next approximately six months, the planning team
will work with the FAA on approval of the forecast, and will use the forecast to analyze 
facility requirements and evaluate development alternatives in an iterative process. 
Airports can be described as a three-legged stool, balancing capacity between airside,
terminal, and landside areas of the airport. Overall airport system capacity is limited by
the pinch point of the area with the least capacity. 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. 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 pinch points and provide a high
level of service to airport customers. 
Airport master plans are typically prepared every 5 to 10 years. The last formal master
plan for Sea-Tac was developed in the mid-1990s and was focused primarily on the third
runway. Passenger activity has since grown by over 50% to almost 35 million annual
passengers (MAP) in 2013 and is projected to grow to 66 MAP in 20 years. Sea-Tac's
rapid growth is creating challenges in our facility with gates and ticket counter
availability. While there are a handful of major projects currently in design that will
provide needed terminal-related capacity in the near-term (International Arrivals Facility,
NorthSTAR, and Baggage Optimization), Airport facilities are becoming increasingly
strained as we experience a surge in activity; due in large part to a rebound in the
economy, steady growth from Alaska Air Group, and Delta Air Lines' increase in service
as they build an international gateway hub at Sea-Tac. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
PowerPoint presentation 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
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 26, 2012 - Commission Briefing: Terminal Development Challenges.