Ready for the return of visitors from Down Under, the countdown is on for the new International Arrivals Facility (IAF) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The airport has announced a series of free, online virtual celebrations to provide a sneak peek of the facility before final readiness testing begins, which is available globally for agents and travellers alike to gain a glimpse of this new welcome to Seattle.
Three sections of the new IAF at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport offer a modern welcome to international travellers. This includes a new passenger walkway, extended A concourse and a 450,000-square-foot Grand Hall which will work together for a seamless and enhanced arrival experience. At a time when international visitors return cautiously, the new facility will advance the Puget Sound region as a leading tourism and business gateway to the USA’s Pacific Northwest, and will serve the travelling public well into the future.
“It is thrilling that we are on the cusp of launching a modern welcome to the world, “said SEA Managing Director, Lance Lyttle. “The innovative design and passenger experience demonstrates our commitment to the future of international travel and to providing facilities that reflect the diversity of our region and our guests.”
Online Reveal Celebration
Agents are invited to tune into the unveiling of the IAF through a reveal video program that will be streamed for audiences throughout the world. See and discover this dramatic improvement to SEA’s customer experience as travellers enter the USA and Pacific Northwest and go behind the scenes to see what it took to construct this one-of-a-kind facility. You’ll experience personal stories about how international travel opens horizons and changes lives, and hear from Port, SEA and construction leaders, airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
3 March 2022
Register here to join the online celebration at 4pm PST / 11am AEDT / 1pm NZDT.
New Experience for Passengers
Entering the United States, you are greeted by a stunning building and experience – most travellers will cross the new one-of-a-kind passenger walkway that is 85 feet above an active taxi lane. Look south for views of Mt. Rainier, west to the Olympic Mountains, north to the Seattle city skyline, or below your feet for a view of aircraft taxiing underneath the walkway.
SEA is newly certified as only the second large hub U.S. airport to earn the travel industry’s prestigious Skytrax 4-Star Airport Rating. This achievement follows a suite of improvements to enhance the airport experience, including the modernized IAF building itself, as well as more predictable and less stressful arrival and customs processing:
- SEA international gates have almost doubled from 12 to 20
- Passenger capacity has increased by more than double to 2,600 passengers an hour
- Additional passenger facilities such as nursing rooms, pet relief areas and restrooms throughout the customs journey will alleviate queueing and crowding
- Enhanced technology for faster processing has been introduced
- The size and number of baggage carousels has increased from four to seven
- Minimum passenger connection time has reduced from 90 to 75 minutes
- Green building elements have been incorporated, including two-thirds of the building having daylight to connect travellers to the outdoors, reinforce circadian rhythms and reduce energy consumption
The architecture of the IAF mirrors the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and even the artwork evokes the natural beauty of this region through colours, shapes, and movement. The colour choices, architectural elements, and artwork will welcome travellers to the natural beauty of the region, including Chalchiutlicue – a five-piece sculpture by artist Marela Zacarías over the baggage carousels, inspired by the colours and waterways of the San Juan Islands. Indigenous art will also soon be installed in the arrivals facility from six Native American artists.
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