Airline passenger traffic at Tucson International Airport was up more than 5 percent this year through September, to 2.4 million passengers, marking year-over-year increases for 15 consecutive months, the Tucson Airport Authority said.
The Airport Authority said airlines are responding to passenger demand at TIA by “upgauging” to larger aircraft and new flights, including Alaska Airlines’ nonstop service to San Jose, which launched in August.
In December, TIA will welcome its newest carrier, Sun Country Airlines, with nonstop flights from Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Airlines upgrading or adding flights in the coming months:
- Oct. 29: United Airlines “upgauges” to Airbus A319s on some flights to and from Denver
- Nov. 4: Nonstop flights to/from Portland, Oregon, return on Alaska Airlines
- Nov. 5: Nonstop flights to/from Minneapolis-St. Paul return on Delta Air Lines
- Nov. 9: United Airlines “upgauges” to 150-passenger Airbus A320s on some flights to/from Houston Intercontinental Airport
- Nov. 12: Delta Air Lines upgrades to 200-passenger Boeing 757s to/from Atlanta
- Nov. 17: Nonstop flights to/from Oakland start on Southwest Airlines (daily most days through the end-of-the-year holidays then weekly starting in January)
- Nov. 17: Southwest Airlines brings its newest aircraft, the 175-passenger 737 Max8, to TIA on one of its three daily flights to/from Denver
- Nov. 18 and 25 and December 23 and 30: Nonstop flights to/from Houston Hobby Airport on Southwest Airlines
- Dec. 21: Sun Country arrives with three flights per week to/from Minneapolis-St. Paul
