The addition of several new international flights and a significant increase in service by United Airlines pushed the passenger count at Dulles International Airport up in 2019.
And for the second year in a row, the number of passengers flying through Dulles surpassed Reagan National Airport’s total.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority reported more than 24.7 million passengers at Dulles last year. It had 24.1 million in 2018.
About two-thirds of Dulles passengers last year were on domestic flights, up 2.6%.
United Airlines added nine new domestic routes at Dulles last year. The airport is one of United’s operational hubs.
International traffic experienced a boost due to international service, including:
- United Airlines’ nonstop service to Tel Aviv, which started in May.
- Alitalia’s nonstop service to Rome, which also launched in May.
- EgyptAir’s nonstop service to Cairo, which started in June.
- TAP Air Portugal’s nonstop service to Lisbon, which also started in June.
- Cabo Verde Airlines’ nonstop service to Sal Cape Verde, which started in December.
New international service announced so far at Dulles for 2020 includes:
- Swiss Air International’s flights to Zurich starting in February.
- Iberia’s nonstop flights to Madrid starting in May.
- LOT Polish Airlines’ nonstop service to Warsaw, beginning in June.
Reagan National also saw an increase, growing to 23.9 million passengers in 2019, compared to 23.5 million in 2018.
BWI Marshall Airport has not yet reported its 2019 passenger tally, though it remains the region’s busiest airport, with 27.1 million passengers in 2018.
