Sea-Tac Airport cyberattack impacts stretch into fourth day

SeaTac Airport internet outage continues after cyberattack

SeaTac Airport is still experiencing delays after this weekend's cyberattack.

SEATTLE - On Saturday, the Port of Seattle noticed "nefarious characters" on their system, leading to web system outages and delays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Now, with busy Labor Day travel conditions expected, the incident reaches into its fourth day.

Here are the impacts we are still seeing passengers and workers having to navigate as of August 27.

Checked baggage vs. carry-on baggage

First, international travelers are under notice to provide even more spare time in their plans. The process for checking bags has become difficult at the airport, prompting officials there to urge travelers to bring carry-ons with them if they can instead.

While there is emphasis on choosing carry-ons for international flights, the airport staff advise the same for domestic travel as well.

As FOX 13 reported yesterday, the cyberattack has also impacted the airport’s baggage handling system, which spans over 10 miles of conveyor belts.

Access to Sea-Tac Airport services

With Port of Seattle computers down, there is no WiFi, lost and found, checkpoint wait time displays, or SEA Visitor Pass services available.

The main airport website is also down, but travelers can use the Port of Seattle Updates Page in the meantime.

The good news? TSA checkpoints run on their own network and was unaffected by the cyberattack. While their process works correctly, members of the agency warn of wait times due to other impacted services around the airport.

A sticky note on an airline flyer says, "Port computers are down. Check in process slower than usual. Apologies and thank you for your understanding."

Sea-Tac Airport cyberattack impacts (Photo courtesy of @flySEA on X, formerly Twitter)

How early should you arrive for your flight?

Those heading to the airport are advised to arrive two hours before a domestic flight, and three hours before any international flights. If you are flying Spirit, Frontier, Sun Country, JetBlue or international carriers, airport officials suggest leaving even more time in your travel schedule.

While it remains unclear of the timeline going forward for full web service restoration; in the meantime, the airport has a team of helpers in green vests to facilitate movement and questions from passengers.

As of late Tuesday morning, Sea-Tac officials said progress on restoring online infrastructure was improving. However, they still advise passengers to plan extra time if they are flying out of the airport.

If you are staying in town for Labor Day we have a list of things to do around western Washington during the holiday weekend.