Mesa, Arizona —The 2017 holiday travel season was a busy one for Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Gateway Airport), as 125,070 passengers passed through the checkpoints in December. That number is an increase of 9% over last December, and the second busiest December in the airport’s history. With more people choosing the convenience of Gateway Airport, and 11 new destinations launched throughout the year, 2017 finished as the second busiest year on record.

Gilbert Mayor and Chair of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority (PMGAA) Jenn Daniels said, “The growth at Gateway Airport this year has been phenomenal. Residents in the Greater Phoenix area and out of state visitors coming to enjoy Arizona are finding great value and convenience at Gateway Airport. We look forward to building upon this success in the coming year.”

“Gateway Airport continues to be the beneficiary of a strong and growing Arizona economy and the State’s status as a top vacation destination for sun-seeking travelers escaping the cold,” said PMGAA Executive Director/CEO J. Brian O’Neill, A.A.E. “With eight new routes beginning in the last quarter of 2017, we anticipate a very busy and successful year ahead.”

The latest passenger numbers come on the heels of an announcement made by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey that Gateway Airport will be the site of SkyBridge Arizona, the nation’s first inland airport with a Unified Cargo Processing Facility to pre-clear cargo en route to Mexico. The project is projected to create thousands of jobs and for the region and significant business opportunities throughout the Southwest.

For more information about Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, please visit www.gatewayairport.com.

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Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Media Contact:
Ryan Smith, Director of Communications and Government Relations
Phone: 480-988-7617
Email: rsmith@gatewayairport.com