Albuquerque International Sunport Statistics

Published Sep 9, 2026

Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is the primary commercial airport serving Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico. It connects the region to major U.S. cities, and is known for its distinctive Southwestern architectural style.

How many passengers pass through Albuquerque International Sunport each year?

Albuquerque International Sunport handles over 5 million passengers each year. In FY2025, the airport saw continued high traffic following a record-setting FY2024.

The airport served 5.36 million passengers in FY2025, showing ongoing demand for air travel.
In FY2019, before the pandemic, passenger volume reached 5.41 million, a record that stood until 2024.
Traffic dropped to 3.96 million in FY2020 and 1.99 million in FY2021 due to the pandemic.
Recovery began in FY2022 with 4.33 million passengers, followed by 5.01 million in FY2023.
ABQ set a new record in FY2024 with 5.47 million passengers, its highest ever.

Vertical bar chart of annual passenger volume at Albuquerque International Sunport by fiscal year, peaking at 5.47 million in FY2024. — Annual passenger volume at Albuquerque International Sunport by fiscal year.

What is the total number of aircraft operations at Albuquerque International Sunport each year?

The airport handles roughly 130,000-150,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings annually, based on FAA data.

There were 148,405 total aircraft movements in 2025, down from a recent peak of 150,779 in 2024.
In 2019, operations totalled 146,963 before dropping to 123,170 in 2020 during the pandemic.
Activity gradually recovered to 133,684 in 2021 and 141,042 in 2022.
By 2023, movements had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels at 144,922, followed by a peak in 2024 and a slight decline in 2025.

Vertical bar chart of annual aircraft operations at Albuquerque International Sunport, ranging roughly 123,000 to 151,000 movements per year. — Total aircraft operations at Albuquerque International Sunport by year.

Albuquerque International Sunport FY2026 Statistics

Between July 2025 and December 2025 (H1 FY2026), ABQ handled 2.84 million passengers.

Traffic by Month (YTD FY 2026)
Month	Total Passengers
July 2025	504,902
August 2025	499,712
September 2025	467,616
October 2025	535,968
November 2025	402,311
December 2025	426,082
Total	2,836,591

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Albuquerque International Sunport?

Southwest Airlines leads at ABQ, maintaining the largest market share by a significant margin.

In 2024, Southwest carried 49.5% of passengers (2.72 million).
American Airlines followed with 19.0% (1.04 million).
United Airlines accounted for 12.6% (694,550).
Delta Air Lines flew 11.8% (646,308).
Alaska Airlines handled 3.2% (177,568).
Spirit Airlines operated 2.3% (125,120).
JetBlue Airways, Advanced Air and Sun Country Airlines together held less than 2% of market share.

Pie chart of 2024 airline market share at Albuquerque International Sunport, led by Southwest. — Airline market share at Albuquerque International Sunport, 2024.

What are the monthly trends in passenger traffic at Albuquerque International Sunport?

ABQ experiences seasonal peaks, with summer and early fall driving the highest volumes.

October 2024 was the busiest month with 560,688 passengers, due to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
July 2024 followed with 512,188, marking the height of summer travel.
June 2025 saw 496,721, and May 2025 had 489,455 passengers, reflecting strong spring activity.
January 2025 and February 2025 were the slowest months, with 329,609 and 327,903 passengers respectively.

Vertical bar chart of monthly passenger traffic at Albuquerque International Sunport across the fiscal year, peaking in October. — Monthly passenger traffic at Albuquerque International Sunport.

How many routes are there at Albuquerque International Sunport?

ABQ offers more than 30 nonstop destinations served by 8 major airlines.

Recently added routes include Long Beach, Nashville and Washington-DCA.
The network includes major airline hubs and popular leisure destinations for both business and vacation travel.

Which destinations are the most popular from Albuquerque International Sunport?

Denver, CO (DEN) carried approximately 307,410 passengers in 2025, making it the busiest route.
Phoenix, AZ (PHX) served around 302,380 passengers, maintaining its position as the second-busiest route.
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW) handled about 270,320 passengers, providing essential connectivity to American's hub.
Las Vegas, NV (LAS) served approximately 196,360 passengers and Dallas Love Field, TX (DAL) handled nearly 161,980 passengers, completing the top 5 domestic destinations.

Horizontal bar chart of the most popular destinations from Albuquerque International Sunport in 2025, led by Denver. — Most popular destinations from Albuquerque International Sunport by passengers, 2025.

How much cargo does Albuquerque International Sunport handle annually?

ABQ functions as a regional cargo hub, historically moving over 100 million pounds of freight annually, though volumes dipped to 94.2 million in FY2025.

FY2025 cargo volume was 94.2 million pounds, representing a decline from the previous year despite significant contributions from Amazon Air.
Cargo hit 132.8 million pounds in FY2021, a peak during pandemic-fueled e-commerce demand.
Volumes declined to 123.4 million in FY2022 and 111.9 million in FY2023 as activity normalized.
FY2024 saw 115.6 million pounds, indicating steady cargo operations.

Vertical bar chart of annual air cargo handled at Albuquerque International Sunport by fiscal year, declining from a FY2021 peak to 94.2 million pounds in FY2025. — Annual air cargo handled at Albuquerque International Sunport by fiscal year.

What are the main causes of flight disruptions at Albuquerque International Sunport?

Weather at major hubs like Chicago, Denver and Dallas causes downstream delays.
Summer monsoon storms in July and August lead to ground stops and short-term disruptions.
Springtime high winds may force runway changes or affect smaller aircraft.
Operational challenges like crew scheduling and maintenance, especially in peak periods.
Air traffic control delays at larger airports occasionally affect ABQ departures.

Related Travel Statistics

How much revenue has Albuquerque International Sunport generated each year?

ABQ generates over $70 million in annual operating revenue.

FY2023 revenue totaled $70.41 million, reflecting stable post-pandemic performance
FY2022 brought in $73.16 million, exceeding pre-pandemic levels

Note: Revenue figures for FY2024 and FY2025 are not yet available

What are the notable incidents at Albuquerque International Sunport?February 19, 1955: TWA Flight 260 crashed into the Sandia Mountains after takeoff due to navigational error, killing all 16 onboard. This incident led to improvements in departure procedures.
July 6, 1997: A Delta 727 landing from Dallas suffered right landing gear collapse. Three passengers had minor injuries during evacuation, but no fatalities occurred. The event prompted updated emergency response protocols.
June 4, 2021: A Delta flight from Los Angeles to Nashville diverted to ABQ after a passenger attempted to breach the cockpit. The person was restrained and arrested upon landing. No injuries were reported.

References

Albuquerque International Sunport Facts and Figures · abqsunport.com
FAA OPSNET — George Bush Intercontinental Airport Operations Data · aspm.faa.gov
BTS TranStats — IAH Route Information · transtats.bts.gov
Aviation Safety Network · aviation-safety.net
Incidents at Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport — NTSB · ntsb.gov