Philadelphia International Airport Sets Records

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia International Airport (“PIA”) set "personal" records in 2005 for passengers and takeoffs & landings. PIA handled 535,666 takeoffs and landings in 2005, making it the world's ninth-busiest, compared with 486,164, or 13th busiest in 2004. With 31.5 million passengers getting on or off planes, PIA ranked 21st busiest on the planet in 2005, compared with a 25th-place in 2004. The surge in traffic is attributable to the continuing growth of two low-cost carriers, Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways and a big increase in flights and passengers for US Airways Express, the commuter service of PIA’s largest airline.