The Seattle Tacoma International Airport whose nickname is Sea Tac, is a major airport that services not only Seattle and Tacoma, but also the Western Washington. The IATA code of the airport is SEA. It is a key airport for Alaska Airlines, and Delta Airlines conduct their Asian and European flights from the airport. Outbound flights include destinations such as East Asia, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The headquarters for Alaska Airlines is situated near the airport. It is ranked as the 15th busiest airport in the USA, and under a single roof, the airport provides the largest car parking facility of any other US airport.
The airport was constructed in 1944. The airport was also the venue for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962. The Seattle city's famous landmark the Space Needle, which is actually an observatory, was specifically constructed for the Fair. The Seattle Center Monorail was also constructed for the Fair. The airport has 3 parallel runways. In 2001, a new control tower was built. The airport moves nearly 35 million passengers every year.
The airport and downtown Seattle are linked through the Central Link, a light rail system. There are wide range of bus services that also offer transfers to the airport. Also available are taxis, shuttle services and rental cars. There are also limousines services available to and from the airport. There are a number of five star rated hotels situated very close to the airport, such as the Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center and the Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport.