SAN DIEGO — San Diego International Airport served a record-high 25 million passengers in 2019, one million of whom were international travelers, also a record, airport officials said Tuesday.
Total airport traffic grew by 4%, the sixth consecutive year San Diego International Airport had seen an increase in passengers. Factors for the growth include six new routes in 2019, with 13 of the 17 passenger airlines serving the airport seeing an increase in passenger traffic.
Alaska Airlines experienced the largest growth, carrying 403,868 more passengers in 2019 than in 2018. It added service to Everett, Washington, and increased the frequency of service to Sacramento and San Francisco.
Southwest Airlines added 367,150 passengers with a new route to Omaha, Nebraska, and increased flights to Reno, Nevada, Sacramento and San Jose.
Delta Air Lines added 341,138 passengers and increased the size of planes heading to Seattle.
"In addition to San Diego being a popular destination, the airport authority is focused on connecting San Diego to the world," said Kim Becker, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. "We continue to provide ample opportunities for local residents to travel to new and exciting destinations as well as San Diego companies to easily conduct business abroad."
The Airport Authority board recently certified the final environmental impact report for a plan to replace the 53-year-old Terminal 1 and bring the number of gates to 30 from the current 19. The airport hopes to break ground on the replacement in early 2021, with the first gates opening in 2024.
San Diego International was the 24th busiest airport in the United States in 2018, according to airport self-reported numbers, just behind Salt Lake City International Airport with 26.8 million passengers and just ahead of Dulles International Airport with 24.8 million.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the country and the world, with more than 110.5 million passengers in 2018, followed by Los Angeles International Airport with 88 million and Chicago O'Hare International Airport with 84 million.
