For a third consecutive day on Monday, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport experienced significant disruptions to its internet, phones, email, and other systems due to an apparent cyberattack. Port of Seattle officials are actively working to investigate the outages and restore full service.
“We’re working around the clock to get necessary systems back online and to mitigate impacts to our passengers,” said the airport’s aviation managing director, Lance Lyttle, in a Sunday press conference.
Lyttle informed that the airport has enlisted the help of external experts and is coordinating closely with federal partners, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). While officials have not disclosed the full scope of the outage, Lyttle assured that TSA’s ability to screen passengers remains unaffected.
Although some airlines, such as Delta and Alaska Airlines—which both use Sea-Tac as a hub—reported no service interruptions, the outage did impact the Port of Seattle’s baggage sorting system. This prompted airlines to advise passengers to avoid checking bags whenever possible to prevent potential delays. Additionally, the airport’s lost and found system also faced disruptions.
Travelers were advised to allow extra time at the airport and to use airline mobile applications for boarding passes and bag tags when feasible. Despite these measures, many faced longer-than-usual security lines and extended waits at baggage claims and check-in counters. Terminal screens throughout the airport were also non-operational, complicating the process for passengers to find their assigned gates. In response, the airport encouraged passengers to seek assistance from staff members in green uniforms.
Among those affected was Thai Un, 46, who described chaotic scenes as he arrived at the airport on Sunday with his wife and four young children for their flight to Maui. After a 45-minute wait to check in their bags, Un discovered that none of the flight information screens were working. Airline personnel had to heavily rely on the intercom to direct passengers, adding to the confusion.
Upon boarding, passengers were informed by the pilot that there would be a delay because crews needed to manually verify bag tags. After landing in Maui, Un discovered that two of his family’s bags did not arrive, while another family lost all of their luggage, including car seats for their young children.
“We had to go to the customer service,” Un noted. “Sure enough, we turn around, there’s about 30 people in line, all in the same boat as us. It was just chaotic.”
While Un eventually received the two missing bags later that day, the overall experience was highly stressful. “Any airline or airport, they should have a backup process in place,” he added.
As of Sunday, the airport indicated in a Facebook post that port teams were making progress but could not provide an estimated time for when systems would return to normal operations.
