Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reported on Apr. 29 that it reached a new monthly record for passenger traffic, with 5,128,429 travelers passing through the airport in March. This figure surpasses the previous record set in March 2024 by 1.27 percent. On March 8 alone, the airport screened a single-day high of 86,250 passengers.
The increase in passenger volume highlights Phoenix’s status as a major travel destination and underscores the importance of airport staff and operations during busy periods. Mayor Kate Gallego said, “March’s record number of travelers at Sky Harbor points to something greater — Phoenix is a world-class destination with a world-class airport.” She also credited events such as the women’s NCAA Final Four, Cactus League Spring Training, and M3F Music Festival for attracting visitors to the area.
The previous busiest day at Phoenix Sky Harbor was Feb. 13, 2023—the day after Super Bowl LVII—when more than 83,900 passengers were processed through checkpoints. On this year’s record-setting day in March, there were approximately 1,520 takeoffs and landings compared to an average of about 1,335 per day; average wait times at security checkpoints were just over seven minutes; nearly 9,800 rental car returns occurred; and ridership on the PHX Sky Train reached almost 60,000 people.
Aviation Director Chad Makovsky said: “Passing this record during a busy spring weekend is very exciting for us. It shows it’s not just huge major event weekends that are attracting record levels of passengers to PHX… Our thanks go to airport staff, partners, and especially the Transportation Security Administration employees who demonstrated exceptional commitment to our passengers and community by providing unwavering service during the partial federal government shutdown where they continued to work despite not receiving pay.”
Recent developments at Phoenix Sky Harbor include new airline services: Breeze Airways announced it would begin flights from Phoenix to Charleston and Provo twice weekly starting November according to an Aug.10 announcement. In addition, Roxann Favors was named Assistant Director/Chief Revenue Officer for the City of Phoenix Aviation Department while Jay DeWitt was appointed Assistant Director/Chief Development Officer, both joining leadership roles within city aviation operations.
In total for last year (2025), more than 51.6 million passengers traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor—the second time annual traffic exceeded fifty million people—and year-to-date figures show an increase over last year by more than two percent.
