Sea-Tac Urges Travelers to Know What's in Their Carry-on

Only those passengers connecting to other flights will now need to be re-screened

International passengers arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will spend less time getting from U.S. Customs to their final destination thanks to revisions in a security screening procedure.

The Port of Seattle, operator of the airport, eliminated a major source of delay for arriving international passengers by adding a new secure corridor through a section of Sea-Tac's south satellite. The corridor will allow Seattle-destined passengers to move directly from the Customs inspection area to the subway that goes to baggage claim.

"Arriving passengers whose destination is Seattle will no longer need to be screened coming out of Customs," said Gina Marie Lindsey, managing director of aviation for the Port of Seattle. "They will proceed through a secure corridor to the subway and directly to baggage claim."

Only those passengers who are connecting to other flights will need to go through the security checkpoint as they exit the Customs area.

Previously, all passengers coming out of Customs had to be screened as if they were entering the airport concourses, adding unnecessary delays for Seattle-bound passengers. The new system will get those people on their way, while also speeding up the process for those with connecting flights.

"This also improves customer service for those who do need to be screened," Lindsey added. "By getting the majority of passengers into the secure corridor, those who do have to be screened will find the lines much shorter."

Constructing the corridor and developing the operating procedure was a significant challenge for the Port. The corridor crosses the subway station in the south satellite, and there are facilities and offices on both sides. Port staff worked with airlines and tenants for several months to make sure that the corridor would not restrict access to offices while still providing a secure corridor through the subway station.

Construction cost for the secure corridor was approximately $350,000.