Port of Seattle facilities, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and the Port’s cruise terminals, will remain fully open and operational should a government shutdown begin on October 1. The Port is working closely with its federal partners to keep operations as close to normal as possible.
SEA passengers are encouraged to follow standard recommendations and plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to a domestic flight and at least three hours prior to an international flight in order to provide enough time to park, transit, check in, and go through security. The Port will continue to offer the popular Spot Saver program to reserve a security screening time, and encourages travelers to confirm travel information directly with their airlines.
“The Port of Seattle urges Congress to find a bipartisan solution to avoid or minimize any shutdown of the federal government and to retain the federal workforce necessary to keep trade and travel running smoothly,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Ryan Calkins. “Our facilities will remain operational during any shutdown, but many of our federal partners will be working without pay. Additionally, any shutdown could cause disruptions to our regional economy, which is already seeing impacts from global and economic uncertainty. We hope those traveling through our gateways will join us in thanking our federal workers for their ongoing professionalism during this time. The Port will do all we can to support them in the case of a shutdown.”
The Port is determining what actions it could take to support its federal aviation and maritime security partners, who would be working without pay during this period. During the 2018-2019 federal government shutdown, the Port worked with a variety of partners and the community to provide federal workers with food and other essential supplies, as well as access to resources to help them deal with missing paychecks.
Contact
Perry Cooper | SEA Airport
(206) 787-4923 | [email protected]
