Way back in 2018, Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) held a huge celebration. It had exceeded one million annual passengers for the first time ever (1.1 million). It took 57 years to achieve this huge milestone.
Then, just one year later in 2019, AVL celebrated a 43% increase in annual passengers – 1.6 million – a growth year unlike any most U.S. airports had ever experienced.
And amazingly, even after the rough few years we’ve all experienced, AVL is nearly back to the high 2019 levels. A few highlights:
- Record summer 2021 – highest number of passengers ever served in one summer
- Record October 2021 (and record month for AVL – 4% higher than October 2019)
- Holiday travel numbers on par with 2019
More normal passenger numbers began to return in May 2021 and have skyrocketed since. Even with a slower first five months of 2021, airport officials anticipate ending this year well ahead of 2018, and on the way back to 2019 numbers (official numbers will be available in January 2022).
AVL’s robust recovery is good news for the region. As an economic anchor organization in Western North Carolina, the airport’s success is an indicator of the strength of our region.
Visit flyavl.com for more information.
Prepared by Asheville Regional Airport.