Huntsville International Airport Sets Passenger Traffic Record
January 24, 2024
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., January 22, 2024 – Huntsville International Airport (HSV) broke all previous passenger traffic records in 2023 marking its busiest year ever. More than 1.47 million (1,473,629) passengers traveled through HSV with an annual increase of 22.7% in traffic over 2022. The last highest year on record, 2019, saw 1,445,365 passengers traveling through Huntsville International.
Several factors have contributed to passenger traffic growth in the North Alabama airport, said Port of Huntsville CEO Butch Roberts. Much of the growth can be attributed to Huntsville becoming the largest city in the state of Alabama with good-paying jobs and a high standard of living that includes expendable income for leisure travel, and the airlines are responding, he added.
“Legacy airlines American, Delta and United have added more seats and greater frequency of weekly flights to their schedules from HSV,” Roberts said. “We saw the addition of some exciting seasonal routes in 2023 including nonstop service to Miami.”
Airport leadership believes that the Huntsville and North Alabama market – as well as the airport infrastructure – will support the addition of more flights and additional nonstop service in the year to come.
“Our capacity will allow us to grow without having to make any major investments,” said Trey Bentley, Port of Huntsville Board Chair. “We’re built for future growth without major impacts to the traveler.”
More residents of the airport’s 18-county service area spanning North Alabama and Southern Tennessee are beginning to understand the benefits of shopping Huntsville first for their flights, Roberts added.
“They are increasingly recognizing that their time is valuable,” he said.
Ultra-low-cost carrier Breeze Airways, a start-up airline by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, came to HSV in 2021 and has had a measurable impact, also.
“Breeze has brought us nonstop flights to desirable locations, and their presence has influenced the fares of the legacy carriers,” Bentley said. “This is what we planned for, and this has given us momentum in the commercial air market in our region.”
Breeze flights begin at $44 one-way to Tampa, $49 to Orlando, and $89 to Las Vegas.
“More people are discovering that when they shop Huntsville first, the assumptions that they have had about fares are shattered,” Roberts added. “It’s just getting folks to break old habits; it’s the right time of year.”