The nation’s major airports find themselves in the midst of a massive facilities makeover as rising passenger numbers, coupled with air-carrier stability, have spurred a spate of capital projects. According to U.S. Bureau of Transportation statistics, U.S. airlines’ domestic and international passenger enplanements reached a seasonally adjusted all-time high of 71.6 million in July, part of a 12.6% systemwide increase recorded over the past three years.
And with route and service realignments from the most recent air-carrier mergers and acquisitions now settled, Christopher Oswald, Airports Council International-North America’s vice president of safety and regulatory affairs, says many airports currently have “a high level of confidence that they can bank on stability and growth for some time.”