How is airport traffic in NC? Interactive graphic shows US data since pre-COVID
Editor’s note: This story and visualization are part of our new “Data In Your Life” series, in which we mine public databases to tell quick stories about the world around us.
Sunday, July 7, saw a record three million travelers go through American airports. After several years of depressed travel numbers following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans than ever before are taking to the skies. But not all states have returned to pre-pandemic levels of air travel yet.
In North Carolina, airport traffic decreased 51% in 2020 from the year before. But with distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning in December 2020, travel restrictions began to be relaxed and more people started traveling again.
The U.S. Department of Transportation publishes data on the number of passengers flying to or from a given airport each year. This chart shows the number of passengers who flew to or from a North Carolina airport from 2019 to 2023.
Three years later, airport traffic has bounced back and even surpassed pre-pandemic levels in North Carolina — the same as in 24 other states. In 2023, North Carolina’s airport traffic was up 6.1% since 2019.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that he expects the record breaking travel to continue in the coming months.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) was the fastest-growing large airport in the country last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. About 22% more passengers boarded planes at RDU in 2023 than the previous year, the highest growth rate among the 50 largest airports in the U.S. In May, RDU announced $3 billion worth of construction projects over the coming decade to try to keep up with the region’s growth.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) was ranked the seventh-busiest airport worldwide for arrivals and departures in 2022, by the Airport Council International. CLT will receive $27 million from a federal grant to help building 16 new passenger boarding bridges.