Springfield airport sets monthly passenger record

The Springfield-Branson National Airport announced its busiest month on record.

During June, there were 126,370 airline passengers, according to a news release.

Airport officials cited a strong local and national economy, as well as pent-up travel demand.

“During good economic times, people travel more because they have more disposable income,” said Kent Boyd, the airport’s air service development manager, in the release. “But the growth this year is complicated. Airlines tell us that business travel has not returned to prepandemic levels, yet the number of people flying is still way up."

So far in 2023, the airport's passenger numbers are up 10% compared with last year. Continuing that pace, officials estimate 1.3 million total passengers this year, which would beat the record of nearly 1.2 million set in 2019.

During the first six months of 2023, landings and take offs totaled 26,538, a 19.9% increase compared with the same period in 2022, according to the release. Scheduled airline flights rose 6.5% during that time to 4,231, while fuel sales were up 14.2% to 4.1 million gallons.