Fresno airport sets new record for passengers in 2024. This destination is behind the growth
Another year, another record.
That’s becoming an annual refrain at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, in which 2024 marked a record year for the number of airline passengers flowing through its terminal.
It’s the fourth consecutive year of growth for the airport since the COVID-19 pandemic sent the travel industry into a tailspin in 2020, when passenger volume fell below 1 million for the first time since 2003.
Since then, demand for airline travel has significantly rebounded. The number of arriving and departing travelers at Fresno Yosemite International surpassed 2 million for the first time in 2022, eclipsed 2.4 million in 2023, and last year approached 2.7 million.
“This major passenger growth trend is triggered by our airline partners recognizing and responding to the region’s demand for air service options from Fresno,” Henry Thompson, the city’s airports director, said in a statement. “Growing air service with more passengers choosing to fly Fresno and filling seats demonstrates to the airlines that more service is needed to meet demand.”
The 2024 total of 2,672,881 passengers reflected an increase of about 9.1% compared to 2,449,418 passengers in 2023.
Passenger volumes aboard nonstop flights to and from cities in Mexico have also been growing in recent years. Between 2023 and 2024, the airport saw a 27.5% increase in Mexico travel, from about 323,000 passengers in 2023 to more than 411,500 passengers in 2024.
Two Mexico-based airlines, Volaris and Aeromexico, offer daily flights between Fresno and Guadalajara, Morelia and León.
Airport officials expect even more passengers in 2025 as a result of several factors, including an increased number of flights and airlines adding to their roster of destinations from Fresno:
- Southwest Airlines will add a fourth daily flight to and from Las Vegas in March, and resume twice-weekly nonstop flights to and from Dallas Love Field Airport from early June through mid-August..
- Allegiant Airlines will begin offering seasonal nonstop service to and from Portland, Oregon, from late May through mid-August, operating on Sundays and Thursdays.
- United Airlines will resume its seasonal summer nonstop flights to and from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago starting in May.
- Delta Air Lines will add a fourth daily nonstop flight to and from Salt Lake City starting in early June.
- Alaska Airlines’ seasonal nonstop flights to and from Guadalajara, launched in December 2024, will continue through Feb. 12.
“It’s an exciting time for Fresno as our airport continues to grow and establish itself as an up-and-coming travel hub, connecting our city to more destinations than ever before,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said in a statement. The airport, he added, “is more than just a place to catch a flight, it’s a key driver of jobs and economic growth for our region.”
The airport is also making a major expansion of its terminal. The project, dubbed FATforward — playing on the airport’s official FAA code FAT (for Fresno Air Terminal) — will add a second upper-level passenger concourse with more gates for both domestic and international flights and an enlarged security screening checkpoint. The expansion will also include upgraded baggage inspection technology and a larger arrival and customs inspection area for international arrivals.
The terminal expansion, which has a current price tag of about $140 million from design through construction, is expected to be ready for occupancy in late 2025.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM.
