PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA

Item No.
Date of Meeting

DATE:

June 29, 2011

TO:

Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

FROM:

Jane Kilburn, Director, Public Affairs

SUBJECT:

Special Order of Business: The Port Centennial 1911-2011

4a
July 12, 2011

The Port is more than half-way through its Centennial year. In celebration of the Centennial, the
Port has: hosted a video contest for King County schools; participated in the Maritime Festival;
organized the "Get to Know Your Port by Bike" ride; published a video documentary; renamed
Elliott Bay Park Centennial Park, opened up beach access at Jack Block Park after years of
cleanup; screened the "Low Budget Time Machine" a short video on the making of the Port
documentary; and hosted a Centennial themed Sea-Air School. At the first Commission meeting
of every month, the Commission highlights a moment in the Port's history.
This month we are looking back at the early years of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
(Airport). Although the airfield was dedicated in 1944, the U.S. military monopolized its use
until 1947 when the first scheduled airline service was inaugurated. It was not until July 9, 1949,
when 30,000 citizens came to celebrate the dedication of the new administration building, that
the Airport began to assume the central role in the region's transportation and economic
infrastructure that it has today. In 1949, only four airlines provided service. Today, passengers
have many more options to choose from with 25 airlines offering regularly-scheduled domestic
and international flights out of Sea-Tac.
During its first full year of operation, the Airport served nearly 500,000 passengers. By 2010,
that number had grown to more than 31 million passengers a year. Nearly 90,000 direct jobs are
created by activity at the Airport and another 61,350 jobs are tied to freight shipped through SeaTac. An additional 12,880 jobs are indirectly created in the State of Washington because of the
purchases and services of firms whose work is associated with the Airport, and 35,500 jobs are
"induced" in the local economy because of the wages spent by individuals employed due to
Airport activity, such as food, housing and other personal spending. In 2007, the Airport
generated $412.4 million in state and local taxes.
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SPECIAL ORDER:
PowerPoint presentation
Video clip