The Monterey Regional Airport has seen an increase in passengers boarding commercial flights this summer, May through July, with a staggering 74,181 passengers embarking in just those three months. The May passenger counts started the trend, breaking the milestone for most passengers to fly out of MRY in a single month since the closure of Fort Ord in 1994. With numbers for June and July continuing to increase, MRY has seen its busiest summer in the recent history of the Airport.
The summer’s monthly passengers for the airport are:
· May 2023: 23,399
· June 2023: 24,869
· July 2023: 25,913
These numbers reflect just those people boarding commercial airlines at the Airport and do not include arriving passengers. August should show a spike in numbers due to the increase in passengers during Car Week, from August 14th through 20th. Although these numbers also do not include people flying into and out of the airport on private aircraft, Airport Executive Director Michael La Pier reported “over 160 private aircraft parked at the Airport for Car Week, with even more being added today.” In comparison, there were around 140 parked at the Airport for Car Week in 2022.
With larger commercial aircraft, such as the upgraded Airbus A319 for American Airlines’ mainline service to Dallas, TX (DFW), the Airport can accommodate more passengers on fewer flights per day while also providing a superior passenger experience for those flying in and out of MRY.
