Apr. 22—When Lance Lyttle was named Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's managing director in 2015, a Port of Seattle leader described him as someone who could "change the oil while the plane is in flight."
The port leader used the metaphor to describe how Lyttle would need to build capacity in an airport where space is already premium. What no one expected was the metaphorical plane would also be flying during a pandemic, and through other unprecedented turbulence.
After leading Sea-Tac's transformation for nearly a decade, Lyttle this month moved to a new position: CEO of Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. In Florida, he'll be responsible for Orlando International Airport, which as a gateway to Disney World is among the busiest in the U.S., and Orlando Executive Airport.
Lyttle oversaw nine years of large and small changes at Sea-Tac, from a new international arrivals facility to addressing security-line speeds and bathroom cleanliness. Last year, 52.6 million passengers traveled through Sea-Tac, 10 million more than when Lyttle was hired.
The airport is now in the middle of a $5 billion, multiyear series of more than 100 construction projects, launched under Lyttle, before the July 2026 World Cup, when Seattle will host six matches.
Port of Seattle Executive Director Stephen Metruck credited Lyttle's vision with changing the Sea-Tac experience.
Lyttle's arrival coincided with the early stages of Sea-Tac's new international arrivals facility, a 450,000 square-foot addition where passengers claim their bags and then go through U.S. Customs and Border Patrol processing before exiting or connecting through the airport.
Before the new facility opened, international travelers went through an area that felt dated and was often overcrowded. Lyttle remembers thinking during his first walk-through that it wasn't how the region wanted to welcome people coming to the U.S. for the first time or returning.
"Kudos to the people who designed it and built it, because it outlived its time," Lyttle said. "It lasted much, much longer than it was ever intended to be."
The 450,000 square-foot international arrivals addition, which cost nearly $1 billion and took 3 million hours to build, opened in 2022. The opening was delayed and costs increased, in part, because of the pandemic.
Getting through the COVID-19 pandemic while supporting Sea-Tac's travelers and workers, and keeping construction projects going, is among Lyttle's list of what he's most proud of in his tenure as head of the airport.
"We had no blueprint, we had nothing to reference," Lyttle said. "We had no airport to call in California or in New York or Asia and say 'Hey, when you had your pandemic, what did you do?' We had to figure everything out as we went along."
Continuing construction projects allowed workers to support the airport's businesses that had lost their customer base from fewer passengers, Lyttle said, and prevented them from being caught as far behind when travel restrictions lifted.
Under Lyttle's leadership, the airport also added nursing suites and a sensory room for travelers who need a calm environment amid the business of the terminals. Since 2021, the airport has used Spot Saver for travelers to reserve their spot in TSA screening lines; Sea-Tac was the first to offer such a service, which has been used by more than 1 million passengers.
In August 2024, the airport was hit by a cyberattack, which disrupted operations for weeks and compromised the data of about 90,000 people. The attack didn't cause widespread delays or cancellations but did take down Port of Seattle websites and screens and affected the baggage handling system. Though the attack happened months ago, the airport remains in recovery mode, Lyttle said.
His Sea-Tac departure is for professional and personal reasons, he said. In Orlando, he'll lead an organization focused solely on the airport, compared with Sea-Tac, which falls under the larger Port of Seattle authority. Orlando is more than five times the size of the dense Sea-Tac, which Lyttle says provides exciting opportunities for growth.
"It's very challenging to expand and grow" Sea-Tac, Lyttle said. " Orlando can do that a whole lot easier than we can. It can build gates, it can expand. ...
"They want the airport to grow to keep pace with the tremendous growth that has taken place within that region. That's very attractive."
In Orlando, he'll lead a multi-billion-dollar series of construction projects that include renovating two terminals and building a new consolidated rental car facility. Tim Weisheyer, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board chairman, called Lyttle a "forward-thinking leader with a deep commitment to innovation" and a record of overseeing development.
Lyttle's family is in Jamaica, where he grew up. His mom's health has declined, and flying from Seattle to Jamaica requires at least one connection and a full day of travel. Orlando offers daily direct two-hour flights — he can fly to Jamaica on a Friday evening and be back at work Monday morning.
Arif Ghouse, Sea-Tac's chief operating officer, is serving as interim managing director while the Port searches for Lyttle's replacement. The hiring process is in its early stages, Port of Seattle spokesman Perry Cooper said.
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