Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 4:38 AM - For Immediate Release
Passenger Traffic Takes Off at SMF; Airport Marks 2 Years of Consistent Growth
SACRAMENTO – Passenger traffic at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) continues to soar, with the airport recording two years of consecutive month-over-month passenger growth as of March 2016. Historically, the first three months of the year are the slowest for air travel, yet Sacramento International Airport posted increases of 8.7 percent in January, 9 percent in February and 7.2 percent in March over the same months in 2015.
This positive trend is expected to continue throughout the year. Airport officials predict a robust summer travel season bolstered by new and expanded flight schedules, including:
- New daily nonstop service to Baltimore beginning Aug. 7 on Southwest Airlines;
- Expanded daily nonstop service to Mexico City from June 17 – Aug. 31 on Aeromexico;
- New twice-daily nonstop service to Chicago-O’Hare International Airport beginning June 2 on American Airlines;
- Expanded seasonal nonstop service to Boston May 26 - Sept. 6 on JetBlue; and
- Expanded daily nonstop service to Guadalajara on both Aeromexico and Volaris
Sacramento International Airport served 9.6 million passengers in 2015 and expects to surpass the 10-million passenger milestone before year’s end.
“We are happy to see this upward trend and we continue to reach out to new and existing air carriers to add service,” said Director of Airports John Wheat. “None of this growth would be possible without the continued support of our passengers.”
The increase is attributed to improvements in the regional economy and efforts to improve airport efficiency.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Sacramento International Airport is a self-supporting enterprise offering more than 135 nonstop flights on 10 domestic and international carriers to 29 cities.
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.