US news: Cyberattack disrupts Seattle-Tacoma airport systems for third day, investigation ongoing

An apparent cyberattack disrupted internet, phones, email and other systems at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for a third day on Monday as Port of Seattle officials worked 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,” the airport's aviation managing director Lance Lyttle said in a press conference Sunday.

Lyttle said the airport is investigating with the help of outside experts and is working closely with federal partners, including the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection. Officials have not released details about the full scope of the outage, but Lyttle said it was not affecting TSA's ability to screen passengers.

Some airlines, including Delta and Alaska Airlines, reported no service interruptions from the outage. Both of the airlines use Sea-Tac as a hub. Still, the outage did affect the Port of Seattle's baggage sorting system, prompting airlines to warn passengers to avoid checking bags if possible to avoid potential delays, as well as its lost and found system.

The airport also warned travelers to allow extra time at the airport and to use airline mobile applications to get boarding passes and bag tags when possible.

Still, many travelers faced security lines that were longer than normal and long waits at baggage claims and checking. Terminal screens were also out throughout the airport, making it difficult for some to determine their assigned gate. In a Facebook post, the airport said passengers should look for airport staff in green for assistance.

Thai Un, 46, and his family were among those affected. He described frenzied scenes at the airport as he arrived there Sunday with his wife and four young children ahead of their flight to Maui.

They waited in line for 45 minutes to drop off their checked bags, then discovered as they continued through the airport that none of the screens displaying flight information were working. The screens next to individual gates that indicate the next boarding flight weren’t working either, he said, and as a result, airline personnel were largely relying on the intercom to inform passengers about where they needed to go.

Once on the plane, the pilot told passengers there would be a delay as crews were having to manually check bag tags, Un said. After landing in Maui, two of his family's bags didn’t make it, while another family was missing all of their luggage, including the car seats for their young children, Un said.

“We had to go to the customer service,” he said. “Sure enough, we turn around, there’s about 30 people in line, all in the same boat as we are. It was just chaotic.”

While Un’s family ended up receiving their two missing bags later that day, navigating the travel havoc was still stressful, he said.

“Any airline or airport, they should have a backup process in place,” he said.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the airport said port teams were making progress but that there wasn't an estimated time for when systems would return to normal operations.