The latest passenger totals from Memphis International Airport (MEM) reflect the airport’s continued positive momentum, with May being the 13th consecutive month of year-over-year local traffic growth for the airport.
Origination and destination (O&D) enplanements at MEM experienced a 7.6 percent increase from the same month last year. Local enplanements at MEM through the first 11 months of fiscal year 2016 were up by more than 185,000 over the same period last year.
Overall load factors (the ratio of available seats vs. occupied seats that airlines use to measure how full – and profitable – their flights are) also were a healthy 85 percent in May.
A strong showing in June, the final month of the fiscal year for MEM, could see annual enplanements eclipse the two million mark for the first time since 2012, the last full year that Delta Air Lines had a hub operation at MEM.
“The turnaround that we’ve had in passenger growth reflects the hard work and determination by everyone at MEM after what has arguably been the most challenging time in the airport’s history,” said Scott Brockman, MSCAA president and CEO. “The effort from employees and local stakeholder partners in our relentless pursuit of frequent and affordable air service has been tremendous, but we’re not finished.”
MEM has introduced two new airlines in the past 18 months and hosted the launch of 16 new nonstop destinations from 6 different carriers. Meanwhile the average airfare at MEM has dropped more than $150 since 2012. MEM now ranks 37th in average airfare cost among the top 100 US airports.
