[dropcap]J[/dropcap]an. 31, 2019 (Anchorage, AK) – More than 5.6 million passengers traveled in and out of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in 2018. The airport also saw 2.79 million metric tons of air cargo during 2018.
Almost 85,000 additional passengers, a 3.1 percent increase over the previous year, passed through the gateway of Alaska. Most of the increase can be attributed to a robust tourism industry. Last year airlines increased flight frequency, used larger aircraft, or both to accommodate the increased demand to visit the Last Frontier. This increase in passenger traffic is great news for Alaska, said Jim Szczesniak, Airport Manager, “the vast majority of this increase was driven by tourism and that translates into tens-of-millions of additional dollars being poured into Alaska’s economy.”
Anchorage, the world’s fifth busiest air cargo airport, also saw solid growth in its air cargo numbers. Air cargo grew by 2.52 percent to 2.79 million metric tons. Anchorage is strategically located between the world’s two largest economies which happen to be the two largest e-commerce markets.
“Global growth and e-commerce in particular are the driving force behind our solid numbers. In 2018 the airport secured new air cargo airlines and that helps grow our cargo numbers. We are also seeing a lot of growth using Anchorage to connect Latin America and Asia. The perishables market between those two regions is really exploding and Anchorage is strategically located between those markets. Airlines can pair fresh Latin American fruit with some fresh, wild caught Alaskan salmon or king crab and send a balanced meal to Asia.”
