The Latest Sky Harbor Airport News: Summer 2024
Each year, thousands of travelers make their way over to spend the winter months enjoying Arizona’s warmer weather. But it isn’t only the winter months when Arizona’s Sky Harbor Airport is packed with travelers.
Although Sky Harbor is one of a handful of Phoenix airports, it’s the biggest and busiest in the state and one of the biggest in the country. At All Valley Transportation, we have compiled the latest Sky Harbor Airport news to prepare you for a busy summer traveling scene. We always try to keep our clients updated so you can be ready for any changes affecting your travel plans.
STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH SKY HARBOR AIRPORT NEWS
Along with keeping you informed, we’re also here to ensure you get to and from the Sky Harbor Airport safely, comfortably, and on time. We’ll tell you more about how we do that later in this post, but let’s dive into some updates from PHX Sky Harbor Airport as of summer 2024.
RECORD-BREAKING TRAVEL
If you’ve seen first-hand how busy the airport feels lately, it won’t surprise you to hear there’s been record-breaking passenger traffic! In, fact, March of 2024 was the busiest month Sky Harbor has ever had on record, with over five million passengers. This marked a 9.7% increase from March of 2023.
This highlights the importance of planning, such as booking transportation in advance, to ensure you’ll get there with plenty of time to make your flight and navigate through crowds of people trying to do the same.
Hiring All Valley for transportation to Sky Harbor Airport is an excellent start. We will pick you up at your current location and drop you off at the terminal entrance, allowing you to save time while taking away all the stress of getting to the airport. Our expert drivers know the most effective routes and will monitor traffic to ensure you get to the airport on time. Plus, all our vehicles are well-maintained, guaranteeing everyone a safe and comfortable ride.
(Record-breaking heat accompanies record-breaking travel. Here are some tips for beating the heat at the airport .)
SKY HARBOR’S ECONOMIC IMPACT
Considering how big and busy the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is, it is perhaps no surprise that it has a tremendous economic impact on the state of Arizona. Recent findings reported that Sky Harbor, Phoenix Deer Valley, and Phoenix Goodyear airports have a total economic impact of $44.3 billion annually.
Other key findings include:
- Sky Harbor Airport supports more jobs in Arizona than any other organization.
- Visitor spending at the airport rose 12% from $5.8 billion in 2016 to $6.5 billion in 2022.
- Total visitor spending is $7 billion per year.
- More than 1,000 aircraft and over 130,000 passengers arrive and depart PHX daily.
(JSX Air Carrier moves from Sky Harbor to Scottsdale Airport. Learn more about JSX and the move here.)
TRAVELING WITH PETS
The TSA also recently offered some helpful tips for traveling with pets in the summer of 2024. During the hottest months of the year, carefully planning before traveling with pets through Sky Harbor is increasingly important. After all, you want to do whatever you can to be sure your pet is as comfortable and safe as possible.
The full article can be found here. In the meantime, here is a summary of some of the tips the TSA shares for pet travel:
- When arriving at the security checkpoint, your pets should be in a hand-held travel carrier.
- Remove your pet from the carrier just before the screening process begins.
- Place the empty carrier for X-ray screening, but never place the pet in the X-ray tunnel.
- If possible, carry the pet during the screening process or have it walk on a leash.
- A TSA officer will swab the owner’s hands for explosive trace detection.
- After the screening, return the pet to the carrier at the designated re-composure area away from the security checkpoint.
- Check with your airline for their specific pet travel restrictions before you fly.
The TSA has also recently reminded passengers of two key things when traveling with pets:
- Never place your pets in the X-ray tunnel at airport security. These are for screening passengers’ personal property and carry-on luggage only.
- The Transportation Security Administration allows only small animals to fly in the cabin if their owners accompany them and they first pass through a security check with TSA officers.
Do you have more questions about traveling with pets or service animals?
You can reach the TSA Contact Center at 866-289-9673 or email them at TSAContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov.
A NEW CANADA-PHOENIX ROUTE
In May 2024, Porter Airlines announced they would offer daily service between Toronto (YYZ) and PHX, beginning in October 2024. Porter Airlines, the Canadian economy air carrier, is just one of many airlines offering new routes between Sky Harbor and other locations.
Flights to Phoenix from Canada: Airlines and Info »
In February 2024, Breeze Airways launched a new route from San Bernardino International Airport to PHX. The seasonal roundtrip flights will operate each Thursday and Sunday on 137-seat A220 aircraft. Passengers will have the option of a one-stop, same-plane BreezeThru™ service continuing to Hartford, Connecticut.
American Airlines also launched a new daily flight between Tijuana and Phoenix in February 2024, marking the reinstatement of international flights to Tijuana. Another new route from American Airlines will begin in October 2024, with daily service between Provo, UT, and PHX.
See more new flights from Phoenix airport here.
A NEW TERMINAL
In April 2024, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced her plans for a new terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. When complete, you’ll find the new terminal project, the “West Terminal,” located at the airport’s west end.
Here’s what else we know:
- This will be the first new terminal since Terminal 4 opened in 1990.
- The 20-year plan for the terminal, created in 2019, outlines the long-term project.
- The terminal aims for net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
- It will include a new customs facility to welcome more international visitors.
- The project will likely receive more than $250 million through the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- The “West Terminal” will be built near the former Terminal 2 site, which was demolished in early 2020.
BOOK WITH ALL VALLEY TRANSPORTATION
Now that you’re updated with the latest Sky Harbor Airport news, you can make plans to travel confidently and efficiently. To ensure a stress-free trip from start to finish, book with All Valley Transportation for your airport travel needs. With professional drivers, competitive rates, and the highest safety standards in the industry, we take the hassle out of getting to or from the airport.
Did you enjoy learning about the latest Sky Harbor Airport news?
Here are three more articles to read next:
- Sky Harbor International Airport Travel Checklist
- Steps to Take for Delayed Flights at Phoenix Airport
- Top 5 Hotels Near Sky Harbor Airport