ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International passenger traffic hit record heights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2011. According to year-end statistics, international passengers increased by nearly 8 percent year over year — from 9.14 million to 9.86 million.
The new high eclipses the previous record, set in 2008, of 9.18 million international passengers.
"This is substantial growth in an important sector for the Airport and for the City of Atlanta," said Aviation General Manager Louis Miller. "These numbers underscore the importance and role of the new international terminal in meeting forecast growth in the coming years."
The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that more than 13 million international passengers will travel through Hartsfield-Jackson annually by 2015, an increase of more than 30 percent over 2011.
In 1994, when international Concourse E opened, the Airport hosted about 3 million international passengers and offered service to 19 international destinations in 16 countries. Today, the Airport offers nonstop service to nearly 80 international destinations in 50 countries.
International flight operations (takeoffs and landings) also set a record at Hartsfield-Jackson in 2011. There were 68,781 international flight operations, which beat the previous record of 68,376, set in 2007.
The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal and its 12-gate concourse are scheduled to open this spring. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility connects with the existing international concourse, creating a world-class 40-gate travel complex.
The international terminal will eliminate the need for Atlanta-bound passengers to recheck their baggage. Passengers will access the international terminal via I-75 at Exit 239.
Click here to see a video update of the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson is the world's busiest airport, serving more than 92 million passengers annually with nonstop service to more than 150 U.S. destinations and nearly 80 international destinations in more than 50 countries. The Airport is a frequent recipient of awards of excellence for concessions, operations, architectural engineering and construction ─ including the 2011 Global and North American Airport Efficiency Excellence Award from the Air Transport Research Society (for more information, go to www.atrsworld.org). It is undergoing $6 billion-plus in capital improvements, which include a new, energy-efficient rental car center; a new, 12-gate international terminal (for more information, go to www.atlanta-airport.com/internationalterminal/); and aesthetic and functional upgrades to its concourses, people movers and parking services. For more information, go to www.atlanta-airport.com. Check out the Airport's YouTube channel by visiting www.youtube.com/AtlantaHartsfield, and become a fan on Facebook.
Contact:
Al Snedeker
(404) 382-2365
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