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Travel demand returns: Sky Harbor at 95% of pre-pandemic levels

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Posted at 8:46 AM, Aug 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-02 11:46:22-04

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is seeing its passenger numbers nearly reach pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

The region’s primary airport recorded 3,638,979 total passengers who either flew into or out of Sky Harbor during June, according to a July 28 report from the Phoenix Aviation Department. When compared to June 2019, passenger traffic was down 5%, which is the closest Sky Harbor’s total passenger count has been to pre-pandemic levels.

June’s passenger count was 230.2% higher than the total passenger numbers of June 2020.

Sky Harbor’s climb back to near pre-pandemic levels has been done with very few business travelers going through its terminals, as leisure travel is driving the commercial airline industry right now.

American Airlines (Nasdaq: AAL) and Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV), Sky Harbor’s two largest carriers, accounted for about 79% of the total passengers at Sky Harbor in June, with American clocking nearly 1.6 million and Southwest recording almost 1.3 million total passengers.

Read more of this story from the Business Journal.