Port of Seattle reports nearly 13 percent increase in 2015.
SEATTLE – Passenger traffic at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport set a record for the fifth straight year in 2015, with over 42.3 million overall travelers, according to statistics released today by the Port of Seattle. The total represented a 12.9 percent growth rate over the previous year, including a 14.6 percent increase for international passengers. Sea-Tac has been the fastest growing Top 20 airport in the U.S. for the past two years. Final statistics are still to come for other airports, but Sea-Tac is expected to remain at or near the top in growth.
“This growth rate is nearly double what we saw in 2014 – 7.7 percent – and continues to reflect the importance of air travel and cargo to our region’s economy,” said Port Commissioner Tom Albro. “Business and leisure passengers benefit as airlines provide more flights and travel options, translating into more jobs in the community. Our success, however, also highlights the urgency in planning for expanded facilities to meet this growing demand. We are committed to engaging the public and stakeholders in this critical effort.”
The total 2015 passenger figure of 42,340,537 beat the previous record set in 2014 of 37,498,267. The new total is roughly equal to the number of visitors the city of Las Vegas welcomed last year. Sea-Tac now sees an average of more than 115,000 travelers per day – nearly the size of the city of Bellevue.
Domestic traffic rose 12.7 percent, while international traffic grew at a 14.6 percent rate compared to 2014. International passengers increased to 4,380,346.
In 2015, Sea-Tac saw the introduction or announcement of 30 new services on five different airlines, including five new (previously unserved) nonstop destinations: Charleston; Dallas-Love Field; Helena; Oklahoma City; and Raleigh/Durham.
The added number of flights did not reduce how full the planes were as Sea-Tac’s load factor rose one percent to 88 percent. Load factor is the average number of seats filled for any flight out of Sea-Tac.
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