2024 is among Key West International Airport's best when it comes to performance and number of passengers served, according to the most recent data.

For the month of November, EYW saw an increase of 12,924 passengers over the same month in 2023, or 430 more passengers per day. 1,306,043 passengers have used the airport so far this year. The final 2024 passenger tally will not be available until January 2025.

"We are very pleased with these numbers - just an overall phenomenal job by my staff and everyone at the airport," said Executive Director Richard Strickland at the December 11, 2024, meeting of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners.

Consistent increases in passenger numbers were seen monthly throughout 2024, with a 10 percent increase YTD over 2023 as of November.

Stay tuned for our end-of-the-year edition of Flying High for a look back, and a look ahead to 2025.

Holiday Travel

December kicks off the Florida Keys’ high travel season with an increase in enplaned passengers from now through March. AAA expects air travel to set a new record this holiday season with 7.85 million passengers. That number surpasses the previous record of 7.5 million air travelers last year.

The busiest travel days for Christmas 2024 are expected to be December 23 and December 31, according to a travel poll by Talker Research.

Passengers are reminded that arrival at the airport two hours ahead of flight time is appropriate, both for parking purposes and the screening process. Check social media pages for updates regarding parking lot capacity at the airport and be ready with another plan for travel to the airport should it be necessary.

Photo: Passengers approach the TSA security checkpoint at Key West International Airport.