Anchorage’s international airport sees record traveler numbers in 2019

Fueled by a busy tourism season, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport saw a record 5.7 million travelers in 2019.

An additional 122,000 passengers traveled through the airport compared to the previous year, a 2% increase. Airport officials said more cruise ship passengers are booking one-way flights as they get on and off vessels in Alaska.

“These additional passengers translate to millions of additional dollars spent in Alaska,” airport manager Jim Szczesniak said.

Growth should climb as airlines add new routes, he said in a statement.

Summer travel grew 2.5%, hitting its own record as airlines increased service to Newark, Seattle and Salt Lake City.

That figure could continue growing this year, though the airport has not set a summer forecast. New flights from Anchorage this summer include an Alaska Airlines route to San Francisco, an American Airlines route to Chicago and a United Airlines route to Los Angeles. Airline Eurowings will begin flights to the airport this summer, traveling to Frankfurt, Germany.