Frequent travelers through Charleston International Airport probably noticed more people than ever in the terminal in July.
That’s because CHS, for the third consecutive month, set a new passenger record.
Last month, the airport saw 525,730 ticketholders arriving and departing, more than 12,000 above the previous milestone set in June, according to data released by Charleston County Aviation Authority.
For the year, the terminal has seen more than 3 million arrivals and departures, 7.4 percent more than in 2019, the year before COVID-19 disrupted airline travel around the world.
CHS has now seen more passengers in seven months than in all of 2014, the first time it surpassed 3 million travelers.
Helen Hill, chairwoman of Charleston County Aviation Authority, attributed the record number of travelers to the airport having more seats available on more flights amid higher demand.
She also noted a change in the makeup of air travelers over the past few years. About one-third of all passengers once were Charleston residents. That number is now about 50 percent.
Hill pointed to the growing number of nonstop destinations from Charleston for the rise in resident travel. CHS now offers point-to-point flights to more than 50 airports coast to coast.
The airport also is among an elite group. A recent study by the Transportation Security Administration shows Charleston International among the fastest-recovering large- and medium-sized airports in the nation, based on a percentage basis of returning passengers, after the turmoil inflicted by the pandemic on air travel.
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The latest figures also put the airport on track to reach its goal of 5 million travelers for the first time by year’s end. With five months left in the year, CHS can meet the target with an average of about 395,000 passengers each month from August through December.
During the last five months of 2021, the airport saw an average of 413,000 passengers each month. In 2019, the average number of travelers was 410,000 per month during the same period.
August is expected to deliver another strong posting for travelers, but the numbers tend to slip slightly in the fall as children return to school. The threat of an approaching hurricane can also cut into fall air travel.
The past few weeks have seen record crowds going through screening, according to David McMahon, federal security director with the Transportation Security Administration for South Carolina airports.
“During the past four weeks, Charleston seen over 60,000 a week flying out,” McMahon said. “This past week, with schools going back and tourism adjusting, it was down to 57,000.”
McMahon believes August passenger numbers could parallel those from June, when about 515,000 ticketholders flew in and out of Charleston.
“July was a very strong month,” he said. “The figures will definitely be down from that number, and this is when we normally start to see the numbers drop a bit.”