TUS Reports Airport Jets Above Pre-Pandemic Passenger Levels
Continuing a 2022 year-long streak of outperforming the national average, October passenger traffic at Tucson International Airport (TUS) surpassed October 2019. The achievement marks the first month that passenger levels have exceeded the pre-pandemic benchmark year.
A total of 317,546 airline passengers went through TUS in October 2022, a year-over-year increase of 15.1% over the 275,941 of October 2021 and, for the first time, 2.1% above the 2019 total for the same month of 310,917 passengers. It also represents a 134.5% increase over 135,413 passengers in the pandemic year of 2020.
“Air travel demand into and out of our beautiful, sunny destination continues its upward trajectory,” said Danette Bewley, president and CEO of the Tucson Airport Authority. “Looking ahead, we see strong capacity increases and load factors, continuing to place us near the top of the charts for passenger recovery in the United States. We are giving you even more reasons to check TUS first this holiday season, as we have 24% more seats on offer than last year.”
Through ten months of 2022, TUS has served 2,797,639 passengers, a 31% percent increase over the same period in 2021.
Passenger numbers at TUS should continue to grow as airlines continue to restore air service and increase the size of aircraft they use into and out of TUS. Nonstop flights to Portland, Oregon, on Alaska Airlines return Nov. 18 and flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul return Dec. 8 on Sun Country Airlines and Dec. 17 on Delta Air Lines.
Additionally, TUS will welcome Flair Airlines Nov. 30 bringing new first-time nonstop flights to six cities in Canada – Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Lethbridge, London, Prince George, and Windsor, across the river from Detroit.
