LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The summer season may be coming to an end but that isn't stopping passengers from flying in and out of the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF).
According to a new release from the airport, May to August saw nearly 892,000 enplanements or departing passengers, an almost 6% increase compared to 2023, which was the airport's best year.
Now, the airport is looking to capitalize on the growth by adding more direct flights in and out of Louisville.
"A record summer that we had, we had the busiest summer ever here at the airport," Anthony Gilmer, vice president of air service development and strategic marketing, said. That proves what the airport is offering passengers is working.
"We have more air service than ever, we have more non-stop destinations, we have lower fare than ever, more seats than ever," Gilmer said. Those non-stop destinations include Boston, Atlanta, L.A., San Francisco, and more.
Officials are looking to add more cities to the list as well like Seattle and JFK in New York. Those cities, Gilmer said, is giving the local economy a boost.
"It’s a tremendous economic impact you know it’s hundreds of millions of dollars when you look at all the different places we can get people to non-stop," he said.
While at the airport, passengers from different non-stop destinations told me how satisfied they are with the convenience and ease of flying in and out of Louisville.
Ernest Kim, who flew directly from Boston, is in town for the Bourbon and Beyond festival this weekend.
"I just look for direct flights most when I travel from Boston, first thing I do is non-stops only," he said.
Another passenger, Jada Rogers who flew in from Atlanta, applauded the flights for their easy access to multiple cities across the country saying it's "really convenient, especially when I'm meeting my friends in another state like New York or Atlanta."
The airport is always looking to grow and land in other non-stop destinations. Currently, the airport offers non-stop flights to more than 35 cities.
Also, the airport currently has a $5 ride share coupon for travelers to get to the airport. You can find that here.
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