Lance Lyttle, Managing Director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), will depart in April to become CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, the Port of Seattle announced Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025.
Lyttle has served as the Managing Director of SEA since Jan. 26, 2016, bringing his tenure to over nine years. Prior to joining SEA, Lyttle held leadership roles at major U.S. airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Houston Airport System.
“Lance’s commitment to excellence and his ambitious vision changed the airport experience at SEA,” said Port of Seattle Executive Director Stephen Metruck. “SEA has now reached the prestigious 4-Star Airport level from the Skytrax World Airport Awards in consecutive years (2022 and 2023), as well as the designation of best airport in the United States for three years running.”
During Lyttle’s tenure, SEA Airport underwent significant transformations through the Upgrade SEA capital improvement program. Major milestones included the completion of the N Concourse Modernization, International Arrivals Facility, and the expanded Central Terminal. Ongoing projects include the SEA Gateway in partnership with Alaska Airlines and the C Concourse Expansion.
Lyttle is also credited with significantly increasing small and local business participation in SEA’s Airport Dining and Retail program by 22 percent, resulting in revenues surpassing $125 million in 2024. Overall, airport dining and retail sales rose 54 percent under his leadership, grossing more than $440 million in 2024 alone. The airport’s Aviation division also spent $239 million with Women and Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (WMBE) firms between 2019 and 2023.
Lyttle, known for leading by example, frequently walked the terminal personally picking up trash, encouraging staff to maintain high standards throughout the facility.
He was also instrumental in creating the StART community forum and regularly testified before Congress on critical airport policy issues, steering the airport through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aviation Division Chief Operating Officer Arif Ghouse will serve as interim managing director while the Port conducts a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.
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Little also oversaw the largest cyber scam in the Port’s history on August 24, 2024, which took months for many HR functions to return online with some features on their mobile app still not working.
There are unconfirmed internal reports that this fiasco was in addition to other areas where the airport was not performing as expected and that the Port Authority were in the process of replacing him after the scam happened.