PITTSBURGH – Increased passenger traffic in the months of July, August and September combined to give Pittsburgh International Airport its busiest summer in more than a decade.
The addition of new international and domestic service, along with expanded capacity on numerous airlines to top business and leisure destinations, led to the increase in passengers.
In July 2017, the airport saw a 10.7 percent increase in passengers over July 2016. In August, the airport saw a 13.1 percent increase over August 2016, and in September, despite devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean that impacted airport operations in several cities for weeks, total passenger traffic increased just over four percent.
New service on Spirit, WOW air and Condor over the past year, as well as expanded capacity on flights to Chicago on United, to Boston on JetBlue and to Denver on Southwest contributed to growth in both seats and flights.
Additionally, seasonal nonstop service to Montego Bay, Jamaica on Vacation Express launched in July, joining the travel company’s existing nonstop flights to Cancun and Punta Cana. Upward passenger traffic trends are expected to continue through the end of the year with the launch of new service to Boston on Delta, to Nashville and Providence on OneJet, and to Tampa and Fort Myers on Spirit. JetBlue has added a sixth daily nonstop flight to Boston.
Southwest, which surpassed an important milestone of flying 20 million passengers at Pittsburgh International this summer, added a second daily flight to Nashville in the month of October.
Through September, total passengers are up 7.2 percent year to date, as more than 6.6 million people have traveled through the airport.
On Friday, the Airport Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt an operating budget of $108.9 million for 2018, an increase of 1.96 percent over last year. The budget lowers airport rates and charges for the fifth straight year, projecting a cost per enplaned passenger (CPE) of $11.30. The budget funds the operations of Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin. The airports receive no local tax dollars in funding.
About Allegheny County Airport Authority:
Allegheny County Airport Authority, which manages Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport, is committed to increasing air service, improving customer service and inspiring growth in the Pittsburgh region. Its 2016 Annual Report detailing growth and improved financial position can be found at flypittsburgh.com/AR16. Pittsburgh International Airport serves more than 8 million passengers annually on 16 carriers. During the past two years, the airport has increased its nonstop destinations more than 80 percent to include 68 airports. Air Transport World named Pittsburgh International its 2017 Airport of the Year. Travel + Leisure has again named Pittsburgh International a Top 10 Domestic Airport in 2017. In addition, TripAdvisor ranked Pittsburgh International Airport a Travelers’ Choice Favorite for Shopping in 2016.