The airport served 14,601,122 passengers from January through October, compared to 13,742,163 during the same period as last year, an increase of 858,959, according to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.

"Every month this year we have seen record-breaking passenger volumes at San Diego International Airport, and we expect this holiday season to be one of the busiest ever," Airport Authority President Thella Bowens said.

With expected increases in travelers through the end of the year, airport officials expect to record the highest annual passenger volumes in the single- runway airport's history.

"The crowded terminals and roadways we see during the holidays provide a pretty good picture of everyday life in the future at San Diego International Airport if we don't arrive at a long-term solution to meet forecasted demand," Bowens said.

The Airport Authority is studying four military and two civilian sites in advance of a November 2006 public vote on a location for a new airport. Military sites being evaluated include Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Miramar East, Camp Pendleton and Naval Air Station North Island.

Also under consideration are sites in Boulevard and the Imperial County desert, as well as an expansion of the existing airport.

Based on an average passenger growth rate of between 2.2-2.8 percent annually, forecasts predict the airport will become severely constrained as early as 2015, according to the Airport Authority.

Contributing to increased air travel demand in San Diego are population growth, economy, the area's attractiveness as a tourist destination and an increase in the number of cruise ship calls, airport officials said.

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