Port details drop in passenger numbers at SEA

KING COUNTY, Wash. — We knew it was quiet at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport because of coronavirus, and now we have numbers.

Looking only at international flights, Port of Seattle officials say SEA usually has 30 to 32 per day, carrying 6,300 passengers.

On Thursday, there was one flight with about 60 people going to Tokyo.

The port released official numbers for March, when the coronavirus crisis began intensifying.

Passenger traffic dropped 56 percent compared with March 2019.

"The reality is that April will be much worse than March. We expect passenger volumes to be down 90 percent for April," airport director Lance Lyttle told reporters.

The drop in passengers affects people who work at the airport.

Port officials said of about 2,100 dining and retail workers, 1,600 are now laid off or furloughed.

The port is offering rent relief for tenants.

"Any relief we provide to the tenants here at the airport, the expectation is that relief will be passed down to the employees of these companies," Lyttle said.

The one airport business segment that’s increasing is air cargo, reflecting the big demand for buying online. It’s up nearly 4 percent.

The Port of Seattle has received $192 million in federal grants to cover essential airport services and salaries, but still expects a loss this year that’s bigger than that.

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