Sea-Tac Airport prepares for ‘heavy’ Labor Day travel despite cyberattacks

SEATTLE – Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is grappling with the ongoing effects of a recent cyberattack and preparing for a busy Labor Day weekend, airport officials said Wednesday.

While essential services such as aircraft departures and arrivals and TSA checkpoints remain operational, some airport systems and services are still disrupted.

According to Perry Cooper, SEA’s media relations manager, the airport’s website, Wi-Fi and phone systems remain affected by the cyberattack, but some employee email access has been restored. Travelers are advised to stay updated on SEA’s temporary microsite, as the main URL, portseattle.org, redirects there for important information.

“Flight operations are not affected by the cyberattack,” Cooper said. “However, flight and baggage information displays are down, and general system outages are affecting smaller and international airlines. Additional SEA personnel in green are on hand throughout the terminal to assist travelers.”

Despite the cyber challenges, most travelers will experience minimal disruption. TSA checkpoints are running efficiently, with wait times less than 30 minutes. This is also due to the four new lanes added at checkpoints 2 and 3 in June. Perry points out that in July, 93% of travelers passed through security in less than 30 minutes, and 74% in less than 20 minutes.

SEA expects high passenger volumes for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, but not to surpass the record days seen in early August. The busiest travel days are expected to be Monday, September 2, with approximately 193,000 passengers, followed by Friday, August 30, with 187,000 passengers.

SEA officials encourage travelers to plan ahead

• Come early: At least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

• Alternative transport options: Use public transportation, ride-sharing or shuttle services to avoid traffic jams at the airport.

• Check for updates: Some international and smaller airlines may still experience longer check-in times due to the cyberattack.

Major construction projects are currently underway in SEA, including the SEA Gateway project near the Alaska Airlines ticket counter and the relocation of Checkpoint 1 to the Gina Marie Lindsey Arrivals Hall. Travelers can track the impact of construction and learn more about ongoing projects at Upgrade SEA.

In August, SEA recorded its busiest days ever. On August 18, 75,410 passengers were screened, beating the previous record set a week earlier. This continues a trend, with nine of the 10 busiest days in SEA’s history occurring in 2024, and July set a record as the busiest month with 5.48 million passengers, up 3.8% from July 2019.

For more information and travel tips for the holiday weekend, travelers can visit ReserveSEA.org (parking reservations available) and the SEA Spot Saver program (security checkpoint reservations).

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