In the first two weeks of April, a projected 1.8 million people are expected to travel to, through, or from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
SEATAC, Wash. – The busiest spring break travel day at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is just around the corner.
Friday, April 10, will likely be the busiest day of the spring break travel period with an estimated 167,000 travelers passing through the airport, according to SEA Airport officials. That total includes departing, arriving, and connecting passengers.
Tomorrow, Thursday, April 9, will see an estimated 160,000 overall travelers.
SEA initially projected last Thursday, April 2, to be the busiest travel day with 162,000 passengers. In Washington, most major schools take spring break during the first two weeks of April and “that’s when the jump in travelers happens,” according to SEA officials.
The surge in travelers arrives amid an ongoing partial government shutdown, impacting pay for approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents nationwide.
President Donald Trump in late March signed a promised executive action to backpay TSA employees after a bid to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown did not pass in Congress.
“America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point,” Trump said in the March 27 memo authorizing TSA payments, which have been halted since February. “I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security.”
Though western Washington’s airport has not seen hours-long wait times at security lines, the airport is readying for a major influx of travelers.
In the first two weeks of April, a projected 1.8 million people are expected to travel to, through, or from SEA Airport.
The highest-volume day at SEA was recorded in August 2025 when the airport saw 207,000 travelers in one day.
If you are driving to the airport to embark on your travels this weekend, airport officials urge you to use public transport or plan ahead for taking extra time to find a spot at the airport parking garages.
