Travelers Going In, Out Of MIA Surge In 2015
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- The amount of passengers going in and out of Miami International Airport (MIA) went into overdrive in 2015.
Annual traffic reached 44.3 million passengers. That's three million more travelers than in 2014.
""In addition to being our County's top economic engine and one of Florida's most valued assets, MIA is fast-becoming one of the busiest airports in the nation and in the world," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.
Domestic travel grew by 11 percent to reach 23.1 million passengers.
The amount of travelers going to international destinations rose by 5.5 percent - accounting for 21.2 million passengers in and out of MIA.
Why the spike?
MIA's officials credit it largely to the airport's growing international network. In 2015, six new passenger airlines added routes to and from MIA. This includes Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and low-cost VivaColombia among others.
And it's not expected to stop there.
Airport officials said their network will continue to grow in 2016 with the addition of German airlines Eurowings starting services in May and Scandinavian Airlines launching their first ever non-stop service to Copenhagen and Oslo in the Fall.
"With the most airlines of any U.S. airport, and the continued expansion of hub carrier American Airlines and other existing carriers, MIA is poised to reach greater heights in 2016," said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González.
