Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport sets yearly passenger record in 2022

PHOENIX — Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport announced Wednesday that it served a record 1,890,684 passengers in 2022.

Last year’s traffic was 6.5% above the previous record, set in 2019, and 22% higher than in 2021, according to a press release.

Gateway closed the year strong with 199,287 passengers in December, the eighth record month of 2022.

The East Valley airport has five carriers — Allegiant, Flair, Sun Country, Swoop and WestJet — with direct service to 55 destinations. Allegiant operates all but eight of the routes.

Flair, Swoop and WestJet are based in Canada. All three saw year-over-year increases at Gateway as COVID travel restrictions were lifted.

“Over the past few years, Gateway Airport has experienced phenomenal growth that is vital in the region’s economy,” Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson, chair of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Board, said in the release.

“More and more Arizona residents, along with out-of-state, sun-loving travelers are choosing Gateway Airport for their flight needs because of its exceptional value and convenience.”

The state’s third-busiest airport, behind Phoenix Sky Harbor and Tucson International, is planning for more growth.

Construction is underway on a five-gate, 30,000-square-foot terminal addition to replace a 10,000-square-foot portable facility.

That’s coming after a $30 million air traffic control tower named after the late U.S. Sen. John McCain opened in August 2022.

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