Impacts on Practice: New International Arrivals Facility Will Enhance Customer Experience at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport

In 2017, when leadership at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) decided to build a new International Arrivals Facility (IAF), they knew they had to leverage airport resources in a cost-effective manner to enhance customer experience. At nearly 50 years old, the existing facility could no longer accommodate Sea-Tac’s demand for international travel, which grew 107 percent from 2007 to 2017.

The latest issue of the TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's (ACRP) Impacts on Practice series explores how research was used to get real-world results, with the design team at Sea-Tac creating a streamlined design with a focus on positive passenger experience.

From the onset, Sea-Tac decision makers envisioned an IAF that would significantly improve the arrival process for international passengers. But, before construction could begin, an independent review panel had to approve the project. To strengthen the new IAF design, Innovations and Systems Manager Todd VanGerpen, a contributing member of Sea-Tac’s design team, turned to ACRP Research Report 161: Guidelines for Improving Airport Services for International Customers and ACRP Research Report 175: Improving Intelligibility of Airport Terminal Public Address Systems.