The Rise and Fall of Iconic Airports Across the Country

There’s a shift happening when it comes to airports in the United States. Some airports in the country are growing in popularity. Others are finding it hard to hang on in the face of airline changes. Which airports are seeing the largest rises and dips in popularity?

A study done by Upgraded Points used data compiled between 2007 and 2017 to chart spikes and declines at iconic hubs around the country. What happened during that 10-year span might surprise a lot of people. Most of the changes are owed to the rise of low-cost carriers.

Hubs that served giants like Delta, American, United and JetBlue used to be the only airports that mattered. However, the rise of low-cost carriers and regional carriers meant that smaller airports around the country suddenly became bigger players on the aviation scene. Those airports are likely to continue to grow in importance as the years go on.

One trend that’s hard to ignore is the growth that’s being seen by airports in the South, West and Southwest portions of the country. In fact, the Northeast and middle section of the country are both nearly entirely excluded from the list of airports that are gaining in popularity. Here’s a look at the top 10:

• Dallas Love Field (DAL)
• Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS)
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY)
• San Francisco International (SFO)
• William P. Hobby (HOU)
• Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
• Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
• Nashville International (BNA)
• Los Angeles International (LAX)
• Boston Logan International (BOS)

What about the airports that are seeing the biggest declines? Those airports are scattered a little more evenly around the country. Here’s a look at the bottom 10 airports in the country when it comes to growth:

• Memphis International (MEM)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
• Ontario International (ONT)
• Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
• Cleveland-Hopkins International (CLE)
• Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU)
• Jacksonville International (JAX)
• Pittsburgh International (PIT)
• Palm Beach International (PBI)
• Oakland International (OAK)

Airline passengers don’t have to worry about shifts becoming too drastic in the years to come. Some major hubs are expected to remain just where they are for the foreseeable future. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration predicts that the hubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago will remain the three largest in the country until at least 2045.