Portland International Jetport has set a new all-time annual record for passengers flying in and out of Portland, said Assistant Airport Director Zachary Sundquist.
More than 2 million passengers have used the jetport this year, with 20 days still left in December. The previous record of 1.86 million passengers – set in 2017 – was broken a couple of days ago, Sundquist said Tuesday evening.
“A lot of what is driving the numbers is the popularity of the Portland market,” he said. “It has a lot going for it. People want to visit Portland, they want to visit Maine.”
Another factor contributing to the influx of passengers may be the offer of more flights to Florida. Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines, which started service at the jetport in July, is now offering flights to Fort Myers and Tampa three or four days a week, Sundquist said.
That service has proved to be popular with Mainers looking to escape wintry conditions that arrived early this season, he said.
Jetport officials have scheduled a press conference for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the main terminal to celebrate surpassing the 2 million passenger mark. Cake will be served.
Airport Director Paul Bradbury and Sundquist will be available to answer questions.
Prior to 2017, Sundquist said the jetport passenger record stood at 1.76 million set in 2008.
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