SEATTLE – The Port of Seattle welcomes Lufthansa Cargo freighter service to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Today the carrier began a new weekly freighter flight connecting Sea-Tac to Frankfurt, Germany.
The aircraft is a Boeing 777 freighter operated by AeroLogic, an airline joint venture between Lufthansa and DHL Express. Its fleet is composed of eight Boeing 777 freighters. AeroLogic is the first German operator of the 777 freighter, which uses 20 percent less fuel than 747-400 freighters.
"This is about getting the stuff we make, grow and catch to consumers around the world,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Tom Albro. “Air cargo growth brings jobs to Northwest factories, money to Washington farms, and profit to Seattle's fishing fleet and that is the mission of the Port.”
Sea-Tac Air Cargo Fast Facts:
- Sea-Tac handled 332,636 metric tons of air freight in 2015. The Port of Seattle has a goal to triple that number to 750,000 metric tons by 2036.
- An estimated $12.7 billion worth of air freight is exported to domestic and international markets through Sea-Tac yearly, while another $13.6 billion is imported.
- An estimated nearly $23 billion in economic value in Washington State is associated with air freight loaded at Sea-Tac in 2015.
- Air freight shipped through Sea-Tac is related to 119,685 jobs representing over $5.5 billion in wages and $521 million in state and local taxes.
- New Lufthansa service connects to more than 300 destinations worldwide through Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub. Boeing 777F is one of the quietest airplanes in its class.
- Lufthansa service adds capacity to Seattle’s European air cargo trade lane, which increased 8.3% in 2015, continuing four years of growth.
- Air cargo between Puget Sound and Western Europe includes components for automotive, aerospace and hi-tech manufacturing; medical instruments and consumer goods.
About Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Operated by the Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA, KSEA) is ranked as the 13th busiest U.S. airport, serving nearly 42.3 million passengers and more than 332,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2015. With a regional economic impact of more than $16.3 billion in business revenue, Sea-Tac generates 171,796 jobs (109,924 direct jobs) representing over $2.8 billion in direct earnings and more than $565 million in state and local taxes. Twenty-four airlines serve 77 non-stop domestic and 24 international destinations.
