Nearly 35 million passengers passed through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 2013, which set a record for the third consecutive year, the Port of Seattle announced Thursday. The number grew almost 5 percent over 2012, the port said.
In addition, international travel grew by more than 10 percent in that same period, according to the port, and air cargo hit a five-year high.
“Sea-Tac Airport continues to be a leading economic engine for our region, and the addition of new routes strengthens our position as a world-class gateway for international and domestic traffic,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton. “Expansion of air service plays a large part in our Century Agenda goal to help create 100,000 new port-related jobs over the next 25 years. We will continue to invest in cost-effective expansion of passenger and cargo service.”
In its statement, the port said the number of travelers passing through U.S. Customs grew every month in 2013. International traffic is expected to keep growing at a rapid pace with the addition of more service in 2014. Delta Air Lines will begin service to London in March and to Hong Kong and Seoul starting in June.
Total passenger volume at Sea-Tac in 2013 was 34,776,666. International passengers numbered 3,579,370, an uptick from the previous record of 3,248,069 in 2012.
Air cargo shipments reached 292,708 metric tons last year, the largest total at Sea-Tac since 2008. International shipments hit double-digit increases; air trade with Asia and the Middle East rose 15.1 percent.
Sea-Tac presently is ranked as the 15th largest airport in the U.S.
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