Indianapolis airport on rise again

Air travel out of the Indianapolis International Airport increased significantly in the third quarter of 2021, with more than 2 million passengers traveling through the airport from July through September.

According to Transportation Safety Administration figures, the Indy airport outpaced the U.S. recovery in passenger throughput 16 of the last 17 months ending August 2021.

“IND has consistently outpaced our peer airports in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh in passenger traffic recovery, especially through this summer,” said Indianapolis Airport Authority Executive Director Mario Rodriguez. “That’s a big testament to the relationship we have with our airline partners and the keen insight they have in changing market patterns as we’ve come through the pandemic.”

The Indy airport’s third quarter passenger traffic increased 133% compared to the same time period in 2020, and down only -15% compared to the same time period in 2019.

Marsha Stone, IAA senior director of commercial enterprise, attributes the recovery to new nonstop flights, new airlines and resuming key routes – all resulting in more seat capacity, the most critical driver of growth.

“IND offered 57% more flights, with 55% more seat capacity overall in Q3 2021 compared to Q3 2020,” Stone said, also noting that the third quarter delta in flights and seats was only -18 percent and -9 percent, respectively, below the same time period in record year 2019.

Key Highlights from Third Quarter 2021

The Indy airport welcomed Contour Airlines as a new airline partner with inaugural daily nonstop flights to Nashville (BNA), Milwaukee (MKE) and Pittsburgh (PIT) in October. Additionally, Allegiant launched its August-only nonstop flight to Rapid City, South Dakota (RAP), and American and Sun Country launched new nonstop flights to Austin (AUS) and Orlando (MCO), respectively, in September.

Additionally, United Airlines resumed its nonstop, daily service to San Francisco (SFO) in September, which had been temporarily halted due to the pandemic.

Looking ahead to the final quarter of 2021, the Indy airport will rack up in total 22 new nonstop flights announced for the year, with Allegiant launching two new inaugural nonstop flights to Palm Springs (PSP) on Nov. 18 and another to Key West (EYW) on Dec. 1. United Airlines will also launch its inaugural nonstop flight to Orlando (MCO) on Dec. 18 and resume service to Ft. Myers (RSW) on Dec. 16. Delta Air Lines will resume daily nonstop service to Salt Lake City (SLC) on Dec. 18. These new additions and resumption of service are launching just in time for the perfect winter getaway.

For a complete list of nonstop destinations by airline, visit IND.com.

About the Indianapolis Airport Authority

The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. In addition to the Indianapolis International Airport (IND), its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport-Gordon Graham Field, Indianapolis Regional Airport and Metropolitan Airport. IND generates a $5.4 billion total annual economic impact for Central Indiana – without relying on state or local taxes to fund operations. More than 10,000 people work at the airport each day, and 22,600 area jobs have a connection to the airport. In 2019, IND served more than 9.5 million business and leisure travelers. IND is consistently ranked, year after year, as the best airport in North America and the nation, based on ease of use, passenger amenities, customer service, local retail offerings and public art. The airport is home of the world’s second largest FedEx operation and the nation’s eighth-largest cargo facility. IND is committed to becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visit IND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.