Mesa Gateway Airport breaks record with over 2M passengers in 2025

PHOENIX — Mesa Gateway Airport surpassed two million passengers in 2025, setting new single-year record.

Officials announced Wednesday that 2,036,218 passengers used the airport last year.

The airport previously set a fiscal-year record with over 2 million passengers during the 12 months from July 2024 through June 2025.

“This time we surpassed it during a calendar year,” Ryan Smith, Mesa Gateway Airport communications director, told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “The growth and milestone for us is significant because of the seasonality of travel. We surpassed the previous annual record by nearly 8 percent.”

How long has Mesa Gateway Airport been in business?

Mesa Gateway Airport, located near Power Road and the Loop 202 Santan Freeway, originally opened in 1941 as a flight school for the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Commercial air service began at the airport in 2007, when nearly 180,000 passengers used it to travel.

“It’s exciting to see more and more air travelers choosing Mesa Gateway Airport when they need to travel,” Regina Antone, chair of the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority (MGAA) Board of Directors, said in a news release. “MGAA has been preparing for this growth, building new airport facilities and improving airfield infrastructure.”

The airport serves the greater Phoenix area with nonstop flights to 45 destinations on Allegiant and Sun Country Airlines. Allegiant has also announced three new routes starting in February: Orange County, California; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Bloomington/Normal, Illinois.

Airport officials are currently working on major projects that are part of more than $130 million in planned improvements over the next five years. One of the largest efforts is Phase 2 of the the reconstruction of a 10,000-foot runway. They are also building a new TSA checked baggage inspection facility that will triple the number of bags processed each hour.

Brian O’Neill, executive director and CEO of the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, said the passenger record reflects the airport’s important role in the region’s air transportation system.

“This isn’t just about record-setting numbers,” O’Neill said. “It’s about the thousands of families, leisure travelers and visitors now choosing Gateway Airport as their preferred airport to and from the Valley.”

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