Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reached a new milestone last year, with 2023 as the busiest year in the airport’s 95-year history. The airport served nearly 49 million passengers in 2023, which is approximately 2.5 million more than the previous record, set back in 2019.
The milestone came during a year that saw the Valley host Super Bowl LVII, the World Series and the annual Waste Management Phoenix Open. The airport recorded its busiest day ever with 200,000 travelers on Feb. 13, the day after the Super Bowl.
“The record-breaking number of passengers Phoenix Sky Harbor saw in 2023 is a testament to the efficiency of our airport and of the strong guest experience we offer travelers and businesses,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “I’m so proud to see our state’s number one economic engine in the state shine, particularly on the fronts of innovation and customer service. The airport has accomplished so much over the last year, and I look forward to welcoming new investments, development and programs in 2024.”
Recent milestones
In the past two years, Sky Harbor has reached a number of different milestones, including becoming the first airport in the nation to launch Mobile ID for Apple Wallet users, making it possible for passengers to board without a physical ID. In 2023, Mobile ID was expanded to accept Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet.
Two new airlines made their home at Sky Harbor in 2023: Lynx Air and Flair Airlines, both Canadian carriers.
Sky Harbor started 2024 with the announcement that Air France will be entering the market, marking the first direct flight between Phoenix and Paris. Service to France will begin on May 23.
The future
Major events taking place in Phoenix likely contributed largely to the influx of passengers last year. However, Eric Everts, a spokesperson for Sky Harbor, says that these trends are likely to continue.
“It was kind of a question of, ‘is this only because of the Super Bowl?’” Everts said. “Or is this going to be something we’re going to sustain? Month after month throughout the entire year, we continued to have our highest months on record. ... So I can only see it continuing this trend as we’ve been consistently that busy for the entire year.”
