Sea-Tac Airport is currently facing the aftermath of a suspected cyberattack on the Port of Seattle, which has caused disruptions to digital displays providing flight information and baggage carousel locations. As a result, airport staff have resorted to using pen and paper to manually write down flight numbers and carousel locations for arriving passengers. Employees from the Port of Seattle who do not typically work at the airport have been assisting passengers and providing guidance due to the lack of digital displays.
The outage, which began on Saturday and continued through Wednesday, has impacted various displays throughout Sea-Tac Airport. Port staff, including individuals like Vy Donnelly and Eileen Francisco, have been helping out at the airport as they have been locked out of their emails following the cyberattack. These staff members have been answering questions, providing guidance, and helping passengers navigate the airport in the absence of digital information displays.
Despite the disruptions caused by the cyberattack, security screenings at Sea-Tac Airport have not been affected, and there have only been a small number of flight cancellations. Officials at the airport recommend that passengers stick to carrying on luggage whenever possible. For those who need to check luggage, especially on airlines like Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, JetBlue, and international carriers, it is advised to arrive early as baggage services for these airlines have been impacted by the cyberattack.
As of Wednesday, the digital displays at Sea-Tac Airport were still out of operation, and some baggage services remained affected. The severity of the cyberattack has not been disclosed, and officials have not provided a timeline for when operations are expected to return to normal. The Port of Seattle is working with the FBI and other partners to investigate the incident. Despite the challenges faced by travelers, airport officials have expressed appreciation for the patience shown by passengers, especially as the busy Labor Day weekend approaches. Updates on the outage are being provided on the Port’s website for the convenience of travelers.
