Anyone arriving or departing the airport Friday evening or Saturday afternoon should expect potential delays.
SEATTLE — Anyone planning to travel through the state’s largest airport this weekend should prepare for possible delays.
President Joe Biden will fly to and from SEA Airport to visit the Seattle area, a spokesperson confirmed to KING 5.
The president will come from the San Francisco Bay Area, where he will attend campaign events Thursday and Friday. The White House has not confirmed what time Biden and his travel group will land in SEA, but a total flight restriction is in effect over much of the airspace over Western Washington from 5:15 p.m. Friday to 2:45 p.m. Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
An SEA airport spokesperson said it expected a standard cargo hold for Air Force One. All traffic will be stopped on the runways until the plane arrives and is parked, the spokesperson said.
Security protocols require SEA Airport to stop all air traffic at least 30 minutes before the president’s plane arrives, Alaska Airlines confirmed in a statement to KING 5. Alaska said it expects delays during the departure of Air Force One on Saturday.
A presidential or other high-level executive visit requires a significant level of security, with local police partnering with state and national agencies to protect the traveling party.
During recent visits by Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden, the two men were in and out of King County International Airport. However, Biden flew over SEA Airport during his final visit to the Seattle area in 2022.
