Page last updated: 29 March 2026
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) remains the busiest airport in the National Capital Region by passenger share. The field moves over 25 million travelers each year, functioning as a pivotal low-cost gateway centered on Southwest Airlines’ fortress-hub network.
How many passengers pass through BWI Airport each year?
Baltimore/Washington International Airport handles over 25 million passengers annually, maintaining its position as the region’s leading airport by passenger volume.
- BWI welcomed 25.22 million passengers in 2025, a 6.8% decline from 27.06 million in 2024.
- Passenger traffic stood at 26.99 million in 2019 before dropping to 11.20 million in 2020.
- Traffic then rebounded to 18.87 million in 2021, 22.80 million in 2022 and 26.20 million in 2023.
International vs Domestic Passengers
BWI remains primarily a domestic airport, and international traffic has recently declined.
- International traffic hit a record 1.23 million travelers in 2025, equal to 4.9% of total volume.
- Domestic demand remained dominant with 23.99 million passengers, or 95.1% of the total, underscoring BWI’s role as a low-cost domestic hub led by Southwest.
Enplaned vs Deplaned Passengers
BWI shows near-perfect balance between departing and arriving travelers, reflecting strong origin-and-destination demand.
- Enplaned passengers totaled 12.6 million in 2025, while deplaned passengers accounted for 12.62 million.
- The difference between departures and arrivals was less than 0.4%, indicating balanced traffic flow typical of strong origin-destination airports.
Passenger Flow at BWI: Enplaned vs Deplaned (2019-2025)
| Year | Enplaned Passengers (in Millions) | Deplaned Passengers (in Millions) |
| 2019 | 13.54 | 13.45 |
| 2020 | 5.61 | 5.60 |
| 2021 | 9.41 | 9.45 |
| 2022 | 11.40 | 11.41 |
| 2023 | 13.10 | 13.10 |
| 2024 | 13.51 | 13.55 |
| 2025 | 12.60 | 12.62 |
Aircraft Operations at BWI Airport
BWI records over 200,000 aircraft operations (takeoffs and landings) annually, excluding the pandemic period.
- BWI recorded 237,879 aircraft operations in 2025, 2.0% fewer than 242,720 in 2024 and 0.6% below 239,417 in 2023.
- That total represents 89.2% of the 2018 peak of 266,569 operations.
- Operations dropped to 178,834 in 2020 then rose to 200,821 in 2021 and 219,276 in 2022.
Aircraft Operations by Type
- Commercial aircraft accounted for the majority of activity at Baltimore/Washington International Airport in 2025, with 212,222 total operations.
- Air taxi services recorded 15,131 movements, general aviation added 9,651, and military flights comprised 875 operations.
Aircraft Operations at BWI Marshall Airport by Type (2019-2025)
| Year | Commercial Aircraft | All Cargo | General Aviation | Military |
| 2019 | 218,944 | 30,521 | 11,968 | 1,164 |
| 2020 | 148,717 | 20,394 | 8,599 | 1,124 |
| 2021 | 167,364 | 19,379 | 12,918 | 1,160 |
| 2022 | 189,242 | 17,041 | 12,042 | 951 |
| 2023 | 213,068 | 14,886 | 10,602 | 861 |
| 2024 | 216,918 | 14,967 | 9,964 | 871 |
| 2025 | 212,222 | 15,131 | 9,651 | 875 |
Which airlines operate the most flights out of BWI Airport?
The competitive landscape at BWI is dominated by Southwest Airlines’ fortress hub operations.
- Southwest Airlines maintains overwhelming market dominance with 17.97 million passenger movements, holding 71.3% market share in 2025.
- Spirit Airlines ranks as the second-largest carrier with 1.73 million passengers and 6.9% market share, followed by Delta Air Lines with 1.57 million passengers (6.2% market share).
- American Airlines and United Airlines completed the top five with 1.12 million and 1.11 million passengers and 4.4% market share each.
How many routes are there from BWI Airport?
- BWI offers roughly 92 nonstop destinations with about 300 daily departures.
- The 2024 mix includes 75 domestic and 17 international routes.
- Recent international growth features Copa Airlines, Icelandair, PLAY and BermudAir.
Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic
2025 demonstrated strong seasonal travel patterns at BWI, with passenger traffic peaking during summer months and setting consecutive monthly records during the peak travel season.
- The busiest months in 2025 were June and July, with 2.40 million and 2.44 million passengers respectively.
- Summer 2025 (May-August) maintained consistently high traffic levels, with May and August each recording 2.34 million passengers.
- The least busy months were typically January and February, with 1.62 million and 1.54 million passengers respectively in 2025.
Which destinations are the most popular from BWI Airport?
Domestic Destinations
- Atlanta led domestic destinations with 888,880 passengers in 2024.
- Orlando, Florida followed with 718,850 passengers.
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida ranked third with 484,510 passengers.
- Denver and Boston completed the top five with 469,410 and 456,390 passengers respectively.
International Destinations
- Cancún, Mexico dominated international traffic with 277,619 passengers in 2024.
- Montego Bay, Jamaica ranked second with 220,583 passengers.
- Reykjavík-Keflavík, Iceland ranked third with 191,086 passengers.
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and London-Heathrow, United Kingdom completed the top five with 154,319 and 123,384 passengers respectively.
Washington Travel Resources
How much cargo does BWI Airport handle annually?
BWI serves as the preeminent air cargo hub for the Baltimore-Washington region, handling over 500 million pounds of freight and mail annually while maintaining regional leadership in cargo operations.
- BWI processed 566.7 million pounds (256,998 metric tons) of cargo in 2025, up 7.7% from 526.0 million pounds and 5.2 % above 538.7 million pounds in 2023.
- Cargo volume reached 500.3 million pounds in 2019, surged to 595.2 million pounds in 2020, hit a record 618.7 million pounds in 2021, and eased to 565.7 million pounds in 2022.
Delays and Cancellations at BWI Airport
- On-time departures: 70% (unchanged from 2023)
- On-time arrivals: 79 %
- Flight cancellations: 1.14% (up from 1.06 %)
- Average departure delay: 53.78 minutes (was 52.85 minutes)
- Average arrival delay: 58.27 minutes (was 57.41 minutes)
Financial Contribution of BWI Airport
- In fiscal 2024 BWI generated $11.3 billion in total economic impact for Maryland, and supported 107,000 jobs.
- The total earning from the airport was $5.6 billion.
- The airport paid $782.5 million in state and local taxes in the fiscal year.
Major incidents at BWI Airport
- February 22 1974: Samuel Byck killed a police officer then tried to hijack Delta Flight 523, killing the first officer and wounding the captain before taking his own life.
- December 10 1992: A Volpar Turboliner crashed three miles west of BWI after cargo shifted on approach, killing the pilot.
- September 14 2024: A Piper PA-32 overran runway 15L, heavily damaging the aircraft. The pilot and two passengers were not seriously hurt.
Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI) Fast Facts
- Airport size: 3,596.3 acres
- Passenger terminal: 2.423 million sq ft, five concourses, 73 jet gates, two commuter gates
- Total airlines: 36 including commuter, charter and cargo carriers
- International nonstop destinations: 17
- Domestic nonstop destinations: 75
Other US Airport Statistics
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport Statistics
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Detroit Metropolitan Airport Statistics
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport Statistics
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Miami International Airport
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- O’Hare International Airport Statistics
- Philadelphia International Airport Statistics
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Statistics
- Salt Lake City International Airport Statistics
- San Francisco International Airport Statistics
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Statistics
USA Travel Statistics Resources
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