America’s Friendliest Airport® continues to break passenger traffic records. Coming off of a banner year in 2015 with more than 44 million travelers served, March, which is typically Phoenix Sky Harbor’s busiest month, topped the charts with a 1.5 percent increase from last March. Nearly 4.3 million passengers traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor in March of this year, setting a new record for the Airport’s busiest month ever.
“The increase in passenger numbers cannot only be attributed to Spring Break, Spring Training, NASCAR and other popular spring events in the greater Phoenix area, but also to an improving economy,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “Phoenix Sky Harbor is the state’s largest economic engine and this is great news for our community.”
In addition to increased passenger traffic, ridership aboard the PHX Sky Train and Rental Car Center shuttles also achieved record numbers. In fact, the PHX Sky Train®, which celebrated its third anniversary in April, saw its greatest month of ridership ever with 494,153 passengers transported and a 15,940 daily passenger average in March.
The weekend of March 18-20 also resulted in the shattering of a previous record for Rental Car Center shuttle ridership. More than 30,000 people were transported each day, compared to 25,800 a day on average in March and 17,000 per day during other times of the year.
“The sustained increase in passenger numbers and ridership aboard our PHX Sky Train® and Rental Car Center shuttles shows an even greater need for improvements to our infrastructure,” said Phoenix Director of Aviation Services, Jim Bennett.
Phoenix Sky Harbor is in the midst of a phased modernization of Terminal 3 which will create a more efficient terminal for travelers. In addition, a new retail program is coming to Terminal 4, Sky Harbor’s busiest.
“Planning for steady growth is a top priority at Phoenix Sky Harbor, as we continue to provide a world-class experience for our customers, said Bennett.
