Flooding closes part of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport concourse

SEATAC, Wash. (AP) — Flooding closed part of a concourse at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for much of the day Tuesday after a contractor opened a fire sprinkler system believing it was out of operation, officials said.

The south portion of the A Concourse had water running over the floor Tuesday morning, The Seattle Times reported. The flooding started just before 7 a.m. and closed A gates south of gate A10, according to airport spokesperson Chris Guizlo.

He said the gates are used by a number of airlines, including United, Delta and some international carriers. Airport personnel were cleaning up the water and working with airlines to move flights to alternate gates, Guizlo said.

The flooding didn’t affect operations outside the flooded area and all but one gate had reopened by Tuesday afternoon, he said.

The “significant leak” happened after a contractor opened part of the fire sprinkler system, believing it was out of operation, according to Guizlo.

Access to the area will remain limited to flights leaving out of those gates, as airport staff continue to address the impact, he said.