MIA posts strongest quarterly passenger growth since 2012

22-Apr-2015

Miami International Airport roared into 2015, posting its best quarterly passenger growth since 2012 and realizing strong gains in cargo traffic as well. Total passenger traffic at MIA grew by 4.62 percent in the first quarter of 2015 to 10.9 million travelers - equal to more than 5,000 additional passengers per day when compared to the same time period last year. Domestic travelers led the way with 5.04 percent year-over-year growth and a total of 5.6 million, while the number of international travelers grew by 4.18 percent to 5.3 million.

While passenger totals grew at a fast clip during the first quarter of 2015, the number of passenger flights at MIA remained relatively steady, reflecting the fact that carriers are increasingly serving the airport with larger aircraft that offer higher seating capacity. Air France added Airbus A380 service at MIA for the first quarter, and Miami hub carrier American Airlines continues to increase seat capacity on existing routes. Other carriers increased flight frequencies to MIA over the winter months. Most notably, low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines entered the Miami market in December 2014 with service to five U.S. cities, and then quickly added Atlanta service from Miami in March for a total of 47 weekly flights. Also in March, American Airlines launched service to four new U.S. destinations, further boosting capacity at MIA in the first quarter.

Total air freight at MIA increased by 2.3 percent to more than 524,000 tons through the first quarter of 2015. The growth was spurred by gains in international freight, which increased by 3.2 percent through March.

"Miami International Airport has had a phenomenal start to 2015," said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. "Passenger growth is at a three-year high, our cargo business continues to thrive, and we're steadily adding new routes and carriers to better serve our customers and our community. Importantly, MIA's continued growth translates to more jobs, more spending and more economic activity in Miami-Dade County."