The Jacksonville International Airport (JIA) has hit a new all-time April high with 545,386 passengers arriving and departing last month, a 13.55 percent increase over April 2017.
It marked the busiest April in the 50-year history of the airport.
JIA has seen higher passenger numbers for each of the first seven months of its fiscal year, which ends September 30, according to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
If the pace continues, JAA said the airport could surpass six million passengers for the fiscal year for the first time since 2008.
“An improved economy and more airline capacity serving Jacksonville are leading to record numbers of passengers traveling through JAX,” said JAA CEO Steve Grossman in an email to WJCT News.
JAA expects the higher activity level to continue during the busy summer travel months and when previously announced service from Frontier Airlines to seven destinations begins in August.
“The flip side to this welcome growth is longer lines for passengers waiting to get through TSA security screening checkpoints,” Grossman said. “We are encouraging travelers to arrive two hours before their flight departs, especially for early-morning flights.”
The strong numbers come on the heels of Visit Jacksonville announcing earlier this month that the city is having a record breaking year for tourism.
Visitation and hotels revenue during the months of January, February and March have been the highest ever recorded for the destination, according to Visit Jacksonville. And that includes the 2005 Super Bowl.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
Photo used under Creative Commons license.
