San Diego International Airport Reaches 20 Million Annual Passenger Mark

San Diego International Airport (SAN), for the first time in its 88-year history, has surpassed 20 million passengers in a single year.

The 2015 total represents a 7 percent increase over 2014, according to preliminary data. SAN has posted record-breaking passenger totals the last two years in a row.

“Crossing the 20-million-pasenger threshold is an important and meaningful milestone,” said Thella F. Bowens, President/CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. “But more important is the fact that the airport has seen consistent and sustainable growth in the post-recession years.”

In another important category, SAN set a record for total enplanements, or departing passengers, in 2015 with just over 10 million; a 7 percent increase over the previous record set in 2014.

SAN also served nearly 700,000 international passengers in 2015, an increase over 2014 of nearly 4 percent.

Bowens attributed the increases to a number of factors, including the improved economy and robust tourism industry. SAN also set a new record for air carrier operations – flights with more than 60 seats – with nearly 165,000 flights. The previous record for this category was set in 2008. This is indicative of the airline industry’s trend away from smaller, propeller-driven aircraft in favor of larger jets on short-haul routes, such as San Diego-Los Angeles.