The Baton Rouge Metro Airport in May saw its highest monthly passenger count since the start of the pandemic last year, a 420% increase over May 2020.
The airport tallied 54,625 passengers last month: 27,696 departing passengers, or enplanements, and 26,929 arriving passengers, or deplanements.
That’s just 78% of BTR’s passenger count from the same month two years ago, before the pandemic. Still, the airport is outperforming others across the U.S.—which reached, on average, 68% of their May 2019 numbers, based on TSA passenger screenings.
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American Airlines carried the most BTR passengers in May, with a 47% share. Meanwhile, Delta had a 31% share and United accounted for 22% of passengers.
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In a prepared statement, BTR Director Mike Edwards says the airport’s new ad campaign targets the “pent-up demand for vacations and visiting friends and family.”
“We are happy to see that demand reflected in our passenger count, which in turn provides airlines with justification for increasing seating capacity,” Edwards says.
This story originally appeared in a June 18 edition of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.