ARIZONA NEWS

Sky Harbor International Airport records busiest tourism season ever

Jun 1, 2024, 5:45 AM

A view of planes on the ground at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport....

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport recorded 4,526,096 passengers in April 2024, a 6.2% increase from the same month a year ago. (Jim Poulin/Phoenix Business Journal)

(Jim Poulin/Phoenix Business Journal)

The Valley’s tourism season, which runs from January through April, ended up being the busiest ever at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The season was capped off with the NCAA Men’s Final Four being hosted in Glendale, which brought tens of thousands of visitors to the Valley and led to Sky Harbor having its busiest April ever, according to the city of Phoenix, which owns and operates Sky Harbor. To accommodate the extra people coming to the Valley for the Final Four, Delta Air Lines added additional routes to Phoenix from North Carolina and Alabama, which is where two of this year’s Final Four teams traveled from.

In April, Sky Harbor recorded 4,526,096 total passengers going through its terminals, a 6.2% increase from April 2023, according to a report released on May 29 from the Phoenix Aviation Department.

April’s results come after Sky Harbor reported its busiest month ever in March, which saw more than 5 million total passengers at the region’s primary airport.

Sky Harbor surpassed 2019’s total passenger count in 2023, a sign that the aviation industry, at least in Phoenix, has recovered from the slump caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year ended up being the busiest year in Sky Harbor’s history, and the airport is outpacing 2023 so far this year.

This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

This rendering shows what the Mesa Grandview Business Park will look like upon completion. (Photo v...

Serena O'Sullivan

Construction starts on 270,000-square-foot industrial development in Mesa’s Falcon District

Several companies related to the Mesa Grandview Business Park gathered with city officials for the groundbreaking of the industrial development.

6 hours ago

CarMax, the nation’s largest used vehicle seller, is hiring after announcing a new reconditioning...

David Veenstra

CarMax hiring for new West Valley reconditioning and auction center

CarMax, the nation’s largest used vehicle seller, is hiring after announcing a new reconditioning and auction center in the West Valley on Thursday.

8 hours ago

Emergency air medical base opens at Abrazo West Campus Goodyear...

Serena O'Sullivan

New emergency helicopter base opens at West Valley hospital

A new emergency air medical base in Goodyear will expand the presence of life-saving care provider Air Methods, the company said on Wednesday.

9 hours ago

DOGE access lawsuit...

KTAR.com

Arizona to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems containing personal data

Arizona is about 12 states that plan to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems containing personal data

10 hours ago

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for increased state firefighter pay on Thursday during an event to ...

Kevin Stone

Arizona governor calls for pay raise for firefighters while honoring those who battled LA wildfires

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for increased state firefighter pay while honoring the task force members who helped battle the Los Angeles wildfires.

13 hours ago

free wigs...

Kevin Stone

Arizona cancer support group opening free wig salon in Phoenix

An Arizona cancer support organization is launching an initiative to provide patients and survivors experiencing hair loss with free wigs.

14 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

Sky Harbor International Airport records busiest tourism season ever