For the first time since 2007, Sacramento International Airport (SMF) has recorded 12 months of continuous passenger growth, airport officials have announced. The first three months of 2015 have been exceptionally robust: Sacramento International Airport has served almost 100,000 more passengers compared to the first three months of 2014, an increase of 5 percent.
The upward trend, which began in April 2014, is expected to continue into 2015 because of expanded air service choices for Sacramento travelers and continued improvement in the regional economy.
Recent air service additions at Sacramento International Airport include:
Southwest Airlines, Sacramento International Airport’s largest carrier, started daily service to Dallas Love Field on April 8
Aeromexico added thrice-weekly nonstop flights to Mexico City effective April 6
Delta starts four new nonstop flights to Seattle beginning May 4
JetBlue is adding long-sought nonstop service to Boston from June 18-Sept. 7
American Airlines is adding a fifth nonstop flight to Dallas-Ft. Worth in May
“The first three months of the year are usually slow for air travel. Improvement during this time is good news for Sacramento International Airport and the county,” said Phil Serna, chair of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. “Our airport is a critical part of the region’s economic development as well as its transportation infrastructure.”
“We appreciate the ongoing support of our airlines for responding to customer demand, and to business and leisure travelers who have chosen Sacramento International Airport for its ease of use and convenience,” said John Wheat, Director of Airports for the Sacramento County Dept. of Airports.
Wheat attributed the increase to new air service opportunities and to improvements in the regional economy.
Sacramento International Airport served 8.9 million passengers in 2014, a 3.3 percent increase compared to 2013. The first quarter of the calendar year is considered the slowest for air travel.
Increases in passenger traffic come as Sacramento International Airport is preparing to make significant infrastructure improvements. The food court in Terminal A is being remodeled to make room for five new restaurants, three of them local favorites Paesanos, Squeeze Inn, and a new restaurant from the owners of Cafeteria 15L. A new parking system that will allow passengers to exit parking lots faster and more efficiently is expected to go live in the summer. And next year, the airport expects to generate as much as a third of its energy needs from a solar farm.
About Sacramento International Airport
The Sacramento County Department of Airports is responsible for planning, developing, operating and maintaining the county’s four airports: Sacramento International Airport, Executive Airport, Mather Airport and Franklin Field.
Sacramento International Airport is a self-supporting enterprise offering over 135 nonstop flights on 12 domestic and international carriers to 29 cities. The regional economic impact of the airport system is more than $4 billion annually.
For more information, visit www.sacramento.aero/smf