Springfield-Branson National Airport set a record for their busiest month ever in June. More than 126,000 people travelled through the airport, and there were over 31,000 landings and take offs.
The airport is on pace for a record year with a projection of 1.3 million total flyers by the end of 2023 -- just over 100,000 more passengers than the previous record year in 2019. Air Service Development manager Kent Boyd credited the growth to a spike in leisure travel, explaining that airlines report business travel has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
This corresponds with recent numbers from the TSA, Bureau for Transportation Statistics and the U.S Travel Association that largely show passengers traveling in numbers comparable to or beyond pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Airport’s website, they’ve had consistent growth in the last 20 years, serving a region that is one of the fastest growing in the state. The airport hit 1 million passengers for the first time in 2018.