San Diego International Airport has surpassed 20 million passengers in a single year for the first time in its 88-year history.
The 2015 total represents a 7 percent increase over 2014, according to preliminary data. The airport has posted record-breaking passenger totals the last two years in a row.
“Crossing the 20-million-pasenger threshold is an important and meaningful milestone,” said Thella F. Bowens, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “But more important is the fact that the airport has seen consistent and sustainable growth in the post-recession years.”
Of the 20 million total, nearly 700,000 were international passengers, an increase over 2014 of nearly 4 percent.
Bowens attributed the increase in passengers to a number of factors, including an improved economy and robust tourism industry.
The airport also set a record for flights with more than 60 seats. Bowens said this is indicative of the airline industry’s trend away from smaller, propeller-driven aircraft in favor of larger jets on short-haul routes, such as San Diego-Los Angeles.
