New Boeing Field VFR Routes Live for World Cup Soccer Traffic

Seattle airport implements visual arrival and departure procedures to balance safety, noise, and anticipated congestion.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, May 15, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Just in time for World Cup soccer matches and the influx in air traffic predicted in the Seattle area, the FAA has released new VFR routes for King County Airport-Boeing Field. [Credit: Museum of Flight]

Key Takeaways:

King County International Airport (KBFI) has implemented new visual flight rules (VFR) arrival and departure routes to manage increased air traffic anticipated during the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Seattle.
These new procedures, developed over months of collaboration among the FAA, KBFI, and neighboring airports, aim to enhance safety and mitigate noise in the complex shared airspace.
The comprehensive routes, detailing specific landmarks and altitude guidance for both arrivals and departures, are designed to accommodate KBFI's diverse aircraft operations, with some procedures already generating significant discussion among pilots.

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The first FIFA World Cup match in Seattle is one month away, and aviation officials are preparing for an increase in air traffic by releasing new visual arrival and departure routes for King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI) that are now in use.

The four-page PDF went live Thursday and within hours social media—and many a pilot’s cellphone—was blowing up with discussions about the new procedures. Seattle will host six World Cup matches from June 15 to July 6.