Monday, September 29, 2014 at 2:04 PM - For Immediate Release
Passenger Traffic Increases at Sacramento Intl Airport
SACRAMENTO – For the first time since 2007, Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is showing consistent growth in passenger traffic, airport officials have announced. Total passengers increased 2.4 percent in the first eight months of 2014 compared to 2013. The summer was sizzling: In August, passenger numbers jumped 7 percent and in July, traffic was up by 4 percent over last year.
The increase is especially significant because, for the first time since 2007, it includes five consecutive months of improved passenger traffic.
“This is an important milestone for us and we are cautiously optimistic that we are in a pattern of steady improvements that will continue till the end of the year,” said John Wheat, Director of Airports for the Sacramento County Dept. of Airports.
“We are very grateful to our business and leisure travelers for supporting their hometown airport, as this helps us make the case to airlines that Sacramento can support additional flights.”
Wheat attributed the increase to improvements in the regional economy as well as additional airline seat capacity as a result of larger airplanes and some additional flights to existing destinations.
In the first eight months of 2014, total passengers on US Airways increased 12.2 percent, Delta Airlines and Delta Connection 6.9 percent; Alaska Airlines/Horizon 4.1 percent; and Southwest 1.3 percent over the previous year. Passengers on international carriers Aeromexico and Volaris jumped 50.8 percent and 31.9 percent, respectively.
The largest increase in passenger numbers was on Southwest, which served 40,153 more passengers compared to the first eight months of 2013. Southwest is the airport’s largest carrier, accounting for more than half of all air traffic.
US Airways saw the second-largest increase in passenger numbers, with 39,440 more passengers flying out of Sacramento International Airport the first eight months of 2014. One factor for the increase was US Airways’ decision to start seasonal service to Charlotte in March instead of May, as it has in previous years.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The Sacramento County Department of Airports is responsible for planning, developing, operating and maintaining the county’s four airports: Sacramento International Airport, Executive Airport, Mather Airport and Franklin Field.
Sacramento International Airport is a self-supporting enterprise offering between 120 and 130 daily nonstop flights on 10 domestic and international carriers to 25 cities. The regional economic impact of the airport system is more than $4 billion annually.
For more information, visit www.smf.aero.
The Sacramento County Department of Airports is responsible for planning, developing, operating and maintaining the county’s four airports: Sacramento International Airport, Executive Airport, Mather Airport and Franklin Field. Sacramento International Airport offers more than 155 daily nonstop flights on 12 domestic and international carriers to 36 destinations. The regional economic impact of the Sacramento County Department of Airports is more than $4 billion annually. For more information, visit sacramento.aero.