More traffic at Sea-Tac airport? Major expansion in the works

SEATTLE (AP) — Port of Seattle commissioners are looking a major expansion at Sea-Tac Airport to accommodate expected passenger growth over the next 20 years.

The Seattle Times reports a new international arrivals facility planned for 2019 is just a beginning. There also are plans for adding 35 more airplane gates to the current 81 gates.

Airport officials discussed plans Tuesday for a projected 66 million passengers a year two decades from now. Last year, 37 million passengers passed through the airport.

The new International Arrivals Facility is already causing a rift between Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines over how it should be funded, the Times reported.

In 2014, Sea-Tac saw its passenger count rise 7.5 percent over the previous year, while takeoffs and landings rose 6.9 percent.