No end in sight as Sea-Tac Airport Navigates suspected cyberattack

SEATAC, Wash. — Sea-Tac Airport officials are still unsure how long it could take to get systems back online after a suspected cyberattack over the weekend.

Airport officials say the origin of the attack is still under investigation and it’s not yet clear what any potential hackers might have been searching for.

Meanwhile, some travelers are still dealing the headaches.

Airport officials say international flights and flights on smaller carriers (like Spirit, Frontier and Sun Country) are most affected. That’s because they rely more heavily on the airport systems knocked out.

Airlines with more flights from the airport tend to have their own networks.

Passengers on these airlines or flying abroad should get to the airport three hours before takeoff, airport officials say.

One of the systems still offline involves baggage sorting.

“They can go to a certain point, but at that point they can’t be separated to different parts of the airport where they would be loaded onto their specific aircraft,” said Perry Cooper with the Port of Seattle.

Airport workers are having to go retrieve those bags and take them to their separate gates, slowing the process down.

Some passengers are still being asked to carry their checked luggage through TSA. That means their checked bags must comply with TSA liquid rules, even though the bags will ultimately be checked.

If you can avoid checking bags, opt for carry-on luggage, airport officials say.

Airport officials are still investigating if those behind the suspected cyberattack obtained any data from the airport. They are also still investigating how the attack might have been launched.

“Overall, we are, as a society and world, are dependent on these things,” Cooper said. “When technology goes down, we have to figure out what these backups are.”

Travelers expressed frustration with offline systems Monday, the third day of the attack.

Passengers traveling with larger airlines should still plan to arrive to the airport early, in the event issues causes delays on their flight.

Passengers should seek specific information about their travel plans with airline companies. The airport has also moved hundreds of office workers into terminals to assist passengers. Travelers with questions can flag down those workers wearing green vests.

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