{"id":27915,"date":"2024-02-25T01:40:53","date_gmt":"2024-02-25T01:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=27915"},"modified":"2024-02-25T01:40:55","modified_gmt":"2024-02-25T01:40:55","slug":"large-and-small-airports-across-u-s-post-record-breaking-numbers-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/news\/airports\/large-and-small-airports-across-u-s-post-record-breaking-numbers-in-2023\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Large and Small Airports Across U.S. Post Record Breaking Numbers in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Significant Increases as well as record-breaking numbers in\npassengers for 2023 have been recorded at airports of all sizes across the\ncountry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time in history at Asheville Regional Airport\n(AVL) in North Carolina, more than 2 million passengers utilized the airport in\n2023, showcasing double-digit growth. An impressive 2,246,411 passengers\ntraveled to or from AVL, a 22.2% increase over 2022 figures, catapulting the\nairport’s annual passenger count beyond the historic 2 million mark for the\nfirst time ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm,\nstating, “The growth at our region’s airport is not just significant; it’s\nextraordinary. We extend our congratulations to our airline partners for their\nsuccesses in western North Carolina and express our gratitude to our region’s\ntravelers for consistently choosing AVL for their journeys.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farther to the North, the Metropolitan Washington Airport\nAuthority hosted 50.6 million total passengers in 2023, setting a new travel\nrecord at Reagan National and Dulles International airports. This achievement\nwas driven by strong demand at both airports, resulting in a new passenger\nrecord at Reagan National and an international passenger record at Dulles\nInternational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSetting a new record is a remarkable accomplishment that\ncan be credited to continuing recovery from the COVID pandemic and the hard\nwork of our airport team and their partners,\u201d said Jack Potter, Airports\nAuthority president and CEO. \u201cWe are not slowing down as upgrades continue for\nour customers at Reagan National, as well as a new concourse at Dulles\nInternational. Our team thrives on recruiting new airline service and finding\nnew ways to provide an outstanding travel experience while planning to meet the\nregion\u2019s long-term transportation needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reagan National (shown above) broke its all-time passenger traffic record with 25.5 million passengers in 2023. This count exceeded the previous record in 2022 by 6.2 percent, despite flight reductions to accommodate a runway rehabilitation project and capacity limitations at New York City airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the fastest growing international gateway airport in the\nUnited States, Dulles International raised the bar in 2023 with 9.3 million\ninternational passengers \u2013 a new record that exceeded 2022\u2019s international\nactivity by 26.9 percent. Combined with domestic activity, the airport logged\n25.1 million passengers for the year. The upward trend can be credited to a\nstrong resurgence in travel demand that led to eight new airlines launching\nnonstop flights to destinations around the globe over the past two years. With\nnew flights announced for 2024, this brings the airport\u2019s total to 42 airlines\nand 139 destinations (80 domestic, 59 international).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also breaking records in the west, Phoenix Sky Harbor\nInternational Airport (PHX) reported the busiest year ever, stating that 2023\nwas a monumental year. The year-end passenger numbers for America\u2019s Friendliest\nAirport\u00ae show that PHX has reached a new passenger milestone, and 2023 is the\nbusiest year ever in its history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 48.8 million travelers passed through PHX last\nyear, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 when nearly 46.3 million\npassengers were served. The year-end passenger total for Phoenix Sky Harbor was\n5.6% higher than 2019 and 10.1% higher than 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even general aviation airports saw good results last year.\nGA airports owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in\nMinnesota showed continued growth in 2023 based on year-end data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The six general aviation airports located across the\nMinneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area supported 370,509 aircraft operations in\n2023 (takeoffs and landings), an increase of 8.3% compared to 242,136\noperations in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here<\/a> to view a complete summary of 2023 MAC reliever airports statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2023 growth across the six airports has been supported\nby a focused, long-term development strategy by the MAC. In the previous five\nyears, the MAC invested more than $50 million in safety and modernization\nprojects including new runways at Crystal and Lake Elmo. Another $30 million in\ncapital improvements are slated to begin in 2024 for projects that include\nrunway reconstruction, pavement rehabilitation, new lighting and improved\nnavigation aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe foundation for the 2023 growth was set in recent years\nby the MAC\u2019s investments in strategic planning, services and infrastructure\nimprovements at each of the general aviation airports around the Twin Cities\narea,\u201d said MAC CEO Brian Ryks. \u201cThis long-term approach ensured that MAC was\nwell positioned to serve the growth in recreation and corporate flying\nactivity, and to accommodate millions of dollars in new private investments\nthat expand services and facilities for airport tenants and users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minnesota\u2019s largest airport also saw growth. Minneapolis-St.\nPaul International Airport (MSP) surpassed 34.7 million total passengers in\n2023, closing in on its all-time record of 39.5 million passengers set in 2019\njust prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 total marks an 11% increase\ncompared to 2022, when MSP logged 31.2 million passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MAC\u2019s general aviation or reliever airports provide a\nbase for nearly 1,250 aircraft and a network of aviation businesses that\nsupport on-demand business flights, charter services, flight training, medical\nservices, aircraft maintenance, as well as recreation and private flying. They\nare referred to as \u201creliever airports\u201d because they relieve congestion that\nwould otherwise impact Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP),\nwhich had 323,929 total operations in 2023, a 4.4% increase over 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur airports have experienced continued growth and energy\nas the general aviation sector continues to build momentum across Minnesota,\u201d\nsaid Joe Harris, director of reliever airports for the MAC. \u201cThe growth has\nbeen steady and durable, even overcoming the effects of significant snowfall\nthat impacted our region through the first several months of 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Asheville, NC, the outstanding growth in 2023 can be\nattributed to several pivotal factors. First, airlines actively expanded their\nofferings, introducing new routes and enhancing services on existing ones.\nAirlines at AVL now offer 27 unique nonstop airport destinations, the highest\nin the airport\u2019s history. This diverse range of air service options provides\ntravelers with unprecedented choices and flexibility, whether departing from or\narriving in AVL for their travel plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, local travelers demonstrated a strong preference for\nflying from their regional airport, a crucial element bolstering airline growth\nin the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And last, the region’s prominence as a nationally recognized\ntravel destination played a pivotal role, with Asheville Regional Airport\npositioned as the gateway for many of our region\u2019s visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to personally thank our local travelers and\nneighbors for their continued support and patience as we manage this ongoing,\nextraordinary growth,\u201d said Bleiweis. \u201cWe are hard at work building the airport\npassenger terminal of our region\u2019s future, more parking has been constructed,\nand we are focused on helping the passenger experience be as smooth as possible\nduring this important and exciting construction period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Atlanta, a newly released traffic report shows the\nlargest passenger count since the pandemic. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta\nInternational Airport\u2019s (ATL) 2023 traffic report posts strong growth as it\nserved 104.7 million passengers, marking a substantial increase and surpassing\npost-pandemic levels. This increase reflects the Airport’s robust recovery from\nthe challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and underscores the resurgence of\ndomestic leisure travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passenger numbers increased by 10.9 million over 2022, an\nincrease of 11.7%. ATL\u2019s highest passenger volume occurred in 2019, with over\n110 million passengers traveling through the Airport. In 2023, aircraft\noperations grew by 7.1%, reaching a total of 775,818 takeoffs and landings.\nThese notable increases underscore ATL’s commitment to facilitating efficient\nand safe air travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Tennessee, 2023 was a milestone year for Memphis International Airport<\/a> (MEM), highlighted by a record number of 4.8 million origin and destination (O&D) passengers traveling through the airport. These numbers reflected a full recovery from the pandemic as 2023 numbers represented an increase of more than 10 percent compared to 2022 and more than three percent compared pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Increased passenger demand was also evident in the number of available aircraft seats, with MEM airlines increasing seats in 2023 to more than 3.1 million compared to 2.6 million in 2022.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c2023 was a tremendous year for MEM as our passenger growth\nexceeded pre-pandemic numbers and the airport and its staff achieved many\nsignificant milestones,\u201d said Terry Blue, MSCAA President and CEO. \u201c2024 will\nbe another year of transformation including the start of our terminal\nmodernization project, our relentless pursuit of frequent and affordable air\nservice, and our transition to a new and enhanced parking system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new record was also realized at the Indianapolis\nInternational Airport (IND) with more than 9.7 million people flying through\nthe Indy airport in 2023, a 12.6 percent increase over 2022 \u2013 and a 2.6 percent\nincrease over 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIND is making a strong recovery overall,\u201d said Mario\nRodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. \u201cOur peer\nmedium hub airports in the Midwest region are showing an average recovery of\nabout 96 percent compared to 2019 with the Indy airport at more than 102\npercent recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business travel has also shown a significant recovery in\n2023, making up 46 percent of the total air travel out of Indy, with 52 percent\nrepresented as leisure travel and 2 percent identifying as a new mix of blended\ntravel for both business and leisure reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), December\n2023 was the busiest December in the airport\u2019s 41-year history, with 1,094,783\npassengers traveling through the Fort Myers airport. This was an increase of 27\npercent compared to December 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though RSW finished 2023 with 10,069,839 passengers,\nwhich was a 2.6 percent decrease compared to 2022, Ben Siegel, executive\ndirector of the Lee County Port Authority said 2023 was a tremendous year of\nrecovery following Hurricane Ian. \u201cWe are appreciative of the outstanding\nperformance by all of our employees, airlines and airport business partners who\nsupport the traveling public every day. We are also grateful for the passengers\nwho support us by making RSW their airport of choice.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kansas, Wichita Eisenhower National Airport reported the\nsecond busiest year on record with a total of 1,721,990 passengers that flew in\nand out of the airport in 2023, making it the second busiest year on record.\nThe record year occurred in 2019 with 1,749,906 total passengers.\n Compared to December 2022, passengers increased 12.58%, and for the year,\ntotal passengers increased 12.18% over 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back in North Carolina, Raleigh-Durham International Airport\n(RDU) topped the all-time passenger traffic record with more than 14.5 million\ntravelers flying through RDU last year, compared to the previous high of 14.2\nmillion. 2023 traffic topped 2019 by two percent and 2022 by more than 22\npercent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A boost in holiday traffic helped RDU end the year strong,\nwith nearly 1.2 million passengers flying through the airport in December. RDU\nserved more than 400,900 travelers between Dec. 15 and Jan. 2, an increase of\n22 percent over 2022 and 1.5 percent over 2019. The airport also added four new\nairlines, 25 new destinations and 49 new routes in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RDU started 2024 with record-setting passenger traffic in\nJanuary. More than 967,600 travelers flew through the airport last month. That\nwas 10.5% higher than January 2023, and 4.6% higher than January 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRDU continues to grow in 2024 with the addition of a new\nairline, new nonstop destinations and more flights to the cities Triangle-area\ntravelers most want to visit,\u201d said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the\nRaleigh-Durham Airport Authority. \u201cJanuary is typically the slowest month of\nthe year at RDU, yet we started 2024 with record-setting traffic, indicating it\nwill be a busy year for air travel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sentiment is echoed throughout the industry as airports\nlook for a strong 2024. \u201cPassenger traffic reached record heights in 2023\nand we are excited about the future at MEM, said Glen Thomas, C.M., Director of\nStrategic Marketing & Communications for Memphis International Airport.\n“The aviation industry has rebounded from the pandemic and airlines are\nresponding to the significant passenger demand.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Significant Increases as well as record-breaking numbers in passengers for 2023 have been recorded at airports of all sizes across the country. For the first time in history at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) in North Carolina, more than 2 million passengers utilized the airport in 2023, showcasing double-digit growth. An impressive 2,246,411 passengers traveled to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27921,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,116,115],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-airports","category-front-page-slider","category-national-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/unnamed-2024-02-17T094113.795.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27915"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27922,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27915\/revisions\/27922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}