Airports Council Presents Seattle’s Lance Lyttle with 2020 Excellence in Visionary Leadership Award

November 12, 2020

WASHINGTON – Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) today announced Lance Lyttle, Managing Director at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), as the recipient of the Excellence in Visionary Leadership Award for 2020.

“ACI-NA recognizes the prominent, positive impact Lance Lyttle has had on the aviation industry and is pleased to honor him with 2020’s Excellence in Visionary Leadership award,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “Throughout his career, Lance has demonstrated a commitment to supporting industry jobs, creating a comfortable journey for passengers, and emphasizing diversity within the aviation sector. His innovative initiatives and dedication to airport operations are exemplary, and ACI-NA is proud to honor his contributions.”

“This is an honor for me, and I am humbled by the recognition,” said SEA Managing Director Lance Lyttle. “I earned this moment in my career with the backing of incredible colleagues throughout the industry, especially my team at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We rolled up our sleeves in response to the pandemic to ensure health and safety at SEA and to restore air travel and our economy. 2020 hasn’t been my favorite, but this is a special moment. Thank you to ACI-NA for this award.”

Lyttle began his leadership at SEA in 2016. During his time there, Lyttle established the “SEA Visitor Pass”, enabling non-ticketed passengers to safely enter the secure side of the airport to enjoy the airport’s dining and retail amenities. Lyttle also committed to diversifying the Port of Seattle’s contracting practices to ensure small and minority-owned businesses are able to benefit from the airport’s economic opportunities. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyttle worked to structure a combination of changes to minimum annual guarantees, lease lengths, and rent deferrals to help support tenants while still considering budget uncertainties within the airport industry. Prior to his role at SEA, Lyttle served as Chief Operating Officer for the Houston Airport System.

Launched in 2016 by ACI-NA’s Human Resources Committee, the Excellence in Visionary Leadership Award recognizes the extraordinary leadership of an airport CEO/Director who best exemplifies the nine core competencies, including people practice expertise, relationship management, consultation, leadership and navigation, communication, global and cultural effectiveness, ethical practice, critical evaluation, and business acumen.

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About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.