SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Nearly 3 million air travelers passed through Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in 2023, making it the “busiest year in the airport’s history.” The 2.86 million passenger figure at SYR surpasses 2019 traffic levels, which produced a 30-year record for the airport, by 11 percent. The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) on […]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Nearly 3 million air travelers passed through Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in 2023, making it the “busiest year in the airport’s history.”
The 2.86 million passenger figure at SYR surpasses 2019 traffic levels, which produced a 30-year record for the airport, by 11 percent.
The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) on Friday announced the data in its annual report, which it discussed during its State of the Airport event.
The number of people flying is “surging” at airports across the U.S., but data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) indicates SYR is one of the “fastest growing”airports in the nation, SRAA said.
“Multiple” factors have contributed to this 11 percent growth at SYR, which is more than double the national average for commercial airports. Hub routes previously served by smaller, regional aircraft (50 to 70 seats) are now served by larger, mainline aircraft (about 109 to 240 seats).
Additionally, the airport continues announcing new routes and “increased frequencies”on existing flights. Another significant growth factor is the changing makeup of the airport’s catchment area, which is described as the geographic area from which SYR draws passengers.
Emerging from the pandemic, airlines began to question the economic viability of running smaller, regional aircraft to surrounding, smaller regional airports such as Watertown, Ithaca, Elmira, and Binghamton, the SRAA said. The Syracuse airport’s airline partners are instead choosing to funnel this demand from surrounding communities through SYR by running more frequent, larger mainline aircraft, the authority explained. The reduction in traffic observed at the nearby, smaller regional airports is a “direct correlation” with the “dramatic uptick” in passengers at SYR.
“We are uniquely aware of and sensitive to the changing traffic patterns within our catchment area,” Jason Terreri, SRAA executive director, said in the news release. “Planning for the future is now done through the lens of regional responsibility, ensuring our team and facilities can meet the demand of the entire population residing within the Central New York service area.”
