SEATTLE — The Port of Seattle estimates 198,000 travelers passed through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this week, setting a new record high for a single day.
The record travel day comes after one of the busiest weekends Seattle has seen in months. Between Taylor Swift's sold-out concerts and the Blue Jays coming down to play the Mariners at T-Mobile Park, the word got out that traveling in and out of western Washington would be challenging.
On Monday, Sea-Tac recorded 73,651 passengers, which broke even pre-pandemic levels.
Dorothy Challenger of Tacoma left herself four full hours just to be safe, something she sees as a good thing.
“After everything that has been said and done you have to live you can’t be scared. So for Sea-Tac to be that busy that means a lot of people are traveling they’re not living in a cage anymore,” Challenger said. “People are getting over their fears and they are living their lives."
But there’s a limit to how much passengers can take – one passenger who chose to remain nameless just wanted to vent.
“There’s not enough staff, not enough agents, not enough crew. It’s not getting better, it’s getting worse and we’re at the height of the summer,” the man said.
Yes, it will get worse, or better depending on how you look at it. Sea-Tac anticipates breaking the all-time passenger record again in August possibly several times. Paine Field in Everett says it’s on pace to see half a million passengers by the end of the year and just changed its name in an attempt to generate more business.
“Seattle region is what brought most of us here and it’s what drives our economy so it’s only fitting to have the name in there,” said Brett Smith of the field’s management company Propeller Airport.
Soon, the newly named Seattle Paine Field International Airport hopes to become an alternative for travelers looking for a flight into the Seattle Area.
Airports across the country have added additional TSA staff to help deal with the anticipated summer rush. Before heading out the door, travelers are asked to double-check their flight status through the airline or on the Port of Seattle's website.