SEATTLE — The Port of Seattle Commission approved the first step toward the multi-phase modernization of the main terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) yesterday by approving $149 million for construction funding and a new partnership that allows Alaska Airlines to manage this phase of the project.

In this first phase, the airport plans to reconfigure the 40-year-old main terminal north end ticketing area, expand the security checkpoint and upgrade facility systems to meet new technology and building standards. The updated, light-filled, open space will help passengers move quickly and easily through the terminal, accommodate rising passenger volumes, and support the airport’s sustainability goals.

Alaska Airlines will lead the project as a tenant improvement with design and construction, which will be reimbursed by the Port. As the main tenant for the area, Alaska’s design expertise will help mitigate impacts to employees and flyers during the three-year construction project. The partnership allows the airport to focus its efforts on more than 150 other construction projects currently in varying stages of design, permitting, and construction, including other future phases of the main terminal modernization project.

“This is an exciting new chapter in our push to improve the efficiency of our airport,” said Lance Lyttle, Managing Director of SEA Airport. “We are pleased to work with Alaska Airlines on this project with our shared emphasis on the customer experience, the need for our projects to deliver economic benefit to the community, and to constantly improve the sustainability of our work.”

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Operated by the Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) serves the people of the Pacific Northwest with essential services, access to hundreds of domestic and global destinations, and economic activity that supports tens of thousands of jobs and produces $20 billion in economy activity. At SEA, we promise to create, through a passionate service culture, an elevated travel experience that’s inspired by the original nature of the Pacific Northwest. We created the globally-accredited and award-winning FlyHealthy@SEA program to protect the health of passengers and employees and restore confidence in air travel. For more information about our U.S. Top 10 airport , visit www.flysea.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Every day. Elevate.