Recent Increase in Traffic at SeaTac Airport Gives Travellers More Options and Lower Prices

Flights out of SeaTac Airport are about to get more exciting! With two new airlines and seven more routes, travelers will have more options for international journeys.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (commonly referred to as SeaTac) is Seattle’s primary airport, serving over 50 million passengers in 2023. Seattle has seen enormous growth in terms of international flights in the last 20 years, and between the pandemic ending and more travelers in general, lots of new flights are being scheduled. More flights means more options for travelers, of course. More importantly, though, this means there is more competition, which brings ticket prices down.

Asia has seen the most growth in new flights from Seattle, with travel to new and previously served destinations, such as Beijing (returning) and Manila (new). Taipei had a measly three flights per week on a single airline during the pandemic but will have 25 on four airlines by the end of this summer. Flights to Beijing were discontinued following the start of the pandemic, but the city will now be served again exclusively by Hainan Airlines. Finally, the Seattle-Manila route had plans to launch for a long time and will finally come after years of waiting.

The Europe side of things hasn’t gone without growth, either, as German carrier Lufthansa will commence a new service from Seattle to Munich, an interesting route since the city pair hasn’t been considered much in the past. However, the two cities are rapidly growing and the flight is projected to have higher demand in the future. Also coming from the east is Alaska Airlines serving Toronto from Seattle, a route that is already served by Air Canada but has been plagued by high fares.

While SeaTac was heavily impacted by the pandemic and lots of flights were axed, there is promising growth on the horizon and increasing choices for travelers.