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Rubber Finally Meets the Road: Alaska Flight to Denver Launches Operations on Sea-Tac Airport's Long-Awaited 3rd Runway
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11/24/2008 9:42 a.m.
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Sixteen years in the making, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's third runway officially opened for operations Nov. 20 when Alaska Airlines Flight 674 departed for Denver.
At a ceremony in the terminal, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters radioed the control tower authorizing the runway to be opened for the flight. Spectators including Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire, Federal Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell, Port of Seattle Commission President John Creighton and numerous other dignitaries watched a live video of the Boeing 737 taxi to runway 16 right and take off about 3:45 p.m.
"We must assure reliability to get more international air service in Washington state and this new runway will help us do that," Gregoire said.
The 8,500-foot strip allows for two streams of traffic to approach the airport simultaneously in low-visibility weather, which occurs nearly half the time. Port of Seattle officials predict the runway will cut delays from an average of 10 minutes to 2½ minutes, saving fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The $1 billion project endured significant delays and cost much more than originally planned due to legal opposition, relocating the occupants of 400 houses, trucking in 13 million cubic yards of fill to build up sloping terrain and mitigating environmental concerns mandated by court settlements.
"We now have the runway, and while its cost has escalated beyond anyone's imagination, we still believe it represents the best long-term solution for the region," CEO Bill Ayer said during the terminal ceremony. "But there's actually a lot more that can be done. Alaska Airlines pioneered the use of satellite navigation to fly precise routes to deal with the difficult conditions up in Alaska. The same technology can be used to improve airport and airspace utilization in all parts of the country."
With the third runway now open, the carrier plans to work with the FAA to gain approval for more direct descent paths in Seattle rather than "stair-step" approaches that burn extra fuel. The more efficient arrival route could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 13,000 metric tons and save Alaska a comparable amount of fuel each year, according to Gary Beck, vice president of flight operations.
Not long after Alaska's jet departed for Denver, United Flight 197 became the first revenue flight to land on Sea-Tac's new runway. The United jet originated at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., flew to Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and then on to Seattle. It was an unplanned coincidence. Dulles and O'Hare also opened new runways for operations the same day.
Sea-Tac Airport plans to close its easternmost runway from April through September 2009 for a complete rebuilding.
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