Idaho Falls Regional Airport sees another record-setting year in passengers
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) has seen yet another record-breaking year of passengers making their way through the terminal.
As Idaho’s second busiest airport, 2022 saw 316,044 passengers depart, with an additional 312,285 flying into the facility for a total of 628,329 passengers for the year. This breaks the previous record set in 2021, which saw a total of 445,041 travelers taking flights through the airport.
“Passenger totals for 2022 were 42% percent higher than last year and a full 78% percent higher than in 2019,” IDA Director Rick Cloutier said. “That’s particularly significant considering 2019 and 2021 were record-setting years for IDA. So even as the air travel industry faces numerous challenges, it is impressive to see our passenger counts increasing.”
There are several factors for the increased number of travelers, including IDA’s efforts to improve the airport and bring more airlines and direct flights offered at the airport. A portion of the passenger increase can be attributed to the closure of the Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), but the short period of time that JAC was closed only accounts for a small percentage of the growth experienced at IDA in 2022.
“The fact that we’ve added so many direct flights and increased the number of airlines serving this area is a really big deal for travelers,” Cloutier said. “That competition has helped drive prices down for passengers and helped make Idaho Falls an airport that can connect you directly or within one stop of almost anywhere in the world.”
IDA currently is served by five airlines that offer direct flights to 12 destinations, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles/Orange County, Phoenix, Seattle and Dallas, plus others.
Projections for IDA show a continued increase in travelers boarding and arriving on flights at the airport. In addition, in 2023, the airport plans to continue its terminal expansion projects by adding to the ticket counters and baggage handling areas behind the ticketing counters. These projects are funded entirely by Federal Aviation Administration, allowing the airport to utilize zero local property tax dollars to fund its operations.
“As we expand our infrastructure capabilities, we expect those numbers to continue to increase as we provide even more flights and improved service to the air travelers we serve. We strive to serve travelers as the best choice for air service in Eastern Idaho,” Cloutier said.
