Domestic passenger growth at Reagan National Airport and international passenger growth at Dulles International Airport continued in April, highlighting air traffic statistics released Wednesday at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority monthly Board of Directors meeting. Together, the two airports served 3.6 million travelers in April.

“Our two-airport system is capitalizing on its strengths,” said President and CEO Jack Potter. “Reagan National remains a convenient destination for domestic travelers. With increases in international service and capacity for significant future growth, Dulles International is further strengthening its position as this region’s gateway to the world.”

Dulles International Airport handled 1.8 million passengers in April, including nearly 550,000 international travelers, a 0.8 percent increase in international travel from the a year ago. International passenger growth at Dulles was primarily driven by increased service on United and new airlines Etihad, Emirates, Aeromexico and Porter beginning service at the airport.

“International travel is currently a major growth area for the airline industry and Dulles is by far the leading airport in our region for people traveling into and out of the United States,” said Board Chairman Michael Curto. “The latest addition to the distinguished list of international carriers serving Dulles is Brussels Airlines, which began its flights to Washington, D.C., Tuesday, June 18. We welcome Brussels Airlines to the Dulles family.”

Growth at Reagan National in April was largely driven by service additions on US Airways, JetBlue, Delta and new airlines Southwest and Virgin America beginning domestic service. A slot swap approved in 2012 between US Airways and Delta led to significant new air service on US Airways. Additional slots allocated through the passage of the 2012 FAA Reauthorization bill also increased airline traffic at the airport.

Dulles saw year-over-year domestic declines, driven in large part by the transition of service by JetBlue to Reagan National as a result of increased slots in 2012; and service reductions on United, Delta, Southwest and Virgin America. However, new domestic service from Dulles International to Fayetteville, Ft. Lauderdale, Greenbrier and Honolulu offset some of the declines.

Air Traffic Highlights:

Reagan National (DCA), April 2013

• Air Service: 438 daily airline departures to 89 destinations
• Passenger numbers: 1,775,777, +5.5% vs. April 2012
  • Year-to-Date: 6,485,214, +9.2%
• Aircraft operations: 24,887, +3.3%
  • Year-to-Date: 96,640, +2.1%
• Complete statistics can be downloaded here.

Dulles International (IAD), April 2013

• Air Service: 380 daily airline departures to 81 domestic and 48 international destinations
• Passenger numbers: 1,822,862, -6.4% vs. April 2012
  • Year-to-Date: 6,671,535, -5.6%
• Aircraft operations: 31,834, +3.7%
  • Year-to-Date: 98,340, -5.3%
• Cargo volume: 21,247 tonnes, -1.1% (international +3.1%; domestic -7.2%)
  • Freight + Express: 20,496, -1.8%
  • Mail: 751, +22.1%
  • Year-to-Date: 83,523, -6.8%
• Complete statistics can be downloaded here.

New Service at Dulles to Brussels
On June 18, direct service to Brussels five times per week on new airline Brussels Airlines began at Dulles. The inaugural inbound flight was welcomed to a water arch salute by the Airports Authority Fire Rescue Department as it taxied into the gate. Brussels is the capital of the European Union, and its airport features a strong network of connecting service to locations throughout Europe and Africa.

Higher resolution photo available upon request

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia to manage and operate Washington’s Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Va. No taxpayer money is used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17-member board of directors appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States.

###