Travelers flocked to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in record numbers last March, with over 5 million visitors passing through its gates, setting a new all-time high. As reported by the Phoenix Aviation Department on April 30, the figure stood at 5,064,407 passengers, marking a 9.7% hike from the same period in 2023, ABC15 Arizona detailed.
Springtime events in the Valley, including Major League Baseball’s Cactus League spring training and a major NASCAR race, coupled with temperate weather, have historically made March the busiest month at Sky Harbor. The bustling airport not only topped last March's numbers but is already outpacing 2023's total passenger traffic by nearly 7% so far this year, according to Business Journal.
The first quarter of 2024 saw more than 13.1 million total passengers, an improvement from the 12.2 million reported during the same period the previous year. These soaring numbers were further bolstered in March by a robust schedule of 19,151 commercial flights touching down at Sky Harbor—a substantial leap from what was experienced just a year ago, as per the Business Journal.
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the latter of which serves as Sky Harbor's two largest carriers, were significant contributors to the upsurge. American saw its monthly total passenger count climb year-over-year by 10.1%, whereas Southwest notched an 11% increase. Additionally, in a stirring reflection of aviation dynamism, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines posted even steeper ascensions of 23% and 26%, respectively, ABC15 Arizona reported.
Looking ahead, Sky Harbor positions itself for further growth with the introduction of new flights, such as a much-anticipated nonstop service from Phoenix to Paris slated for later this year. The airport's burgeoning influence on local and state economies is undeniable, as an Arizona State University study recently highlighted an annual economic impact of $44.3 billion by Sky Harbor and two other city-owned airports, as presented by the Business Journal.
