Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) Statistics

Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) is Western New York’s primary passenger and cargo airport, serving the Buffalo Niagara region as well as a cross-border market where approximately 30% of the airport’s passenger traffic originates from Canada. The airport lists up to 100 nonstop flights per day to 31 destinations, and reports about $1.7 billion in annual regional economic activity.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport handled 5.02 million total passengers in 2025.

• From 2014 through 2018, total passenger traffic rose from 4.72 million to 5.01 million, reaching the airport’s pre-pandemic high in 2018.
• In pre-pandemic 2019, traffic eased slightly to 4.89 million total passengers.
• The pandemic cut traffic to 1.41 million passengers in 2020, the lowest number as a result of pandemic restrictions.
• Passenger volume then recovered to 2.87 million in 2021 and 4.00 million in 2022.
• By 2024, BUF had returned to 4.96 million total passengers, about 98.95% of its 2018 level.
• The latest full year, 2025, reached 5.02 million passengers, slightly above the 2018 pre-pandemic high.
• As of January 2026, BUF handled 289,490 total passengers.

Note: Total passengers includes both enplaned passengers and deplaned passengers. Enplaned passengers are those boarding a flight at BUF; deplaned passengers are those arriving and exiting an aircraft.

Southwest carried the largest share of BUF passenger traffic in 2025, with 1.43 million passengers.

• Southwest led the airport with 28.48% of total carrier passenger traffic.
• JetBlue ranked second with 841,000 passengers and 16.77% share.
• American, Delta and Frontier followed with 549,000, 470,000 and 318,000 passengers, respectively.
• Southwest, JetBlue and Frontier together carried about 2.59 million passengers, or 51.58% of total carrier traffic.
• Other carriers together accounted for 1.41 million passengers, or 28.10% of the total.

Note: Carrier totals are shown in thousands and represent passenger traffic by airline, not the number of flights operated.

August was BUF’s busiest month in 2025, with 531,101 total passengers.

• Summer produced the strongest travel volumes, with July and August both above 500,000 total passengers.
• May and October also topped 450,000 passengers, reaching 450,216 and 466,335, respectively.
• February was the lowest full month in 2025, with 321,687 passengers.
• The spring travel period rose from 391,993 passengers in March to 405,569 in April.
• December handled 363,140 passengers, below the summer peak but above the January and February totals.

Note: Monthly figures are calendar-month passenger totals from Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) data.

BUF generated $81.02 million in total operating revenue in FY2025.

• From FY2014 through FY2019, total operating revenue grew from $58.86 million to $65.20 million.
• FY2020 slipped to $63.15 million as the pandemic period began.
• FY2021 marked the low point in this series, with revenue falling to $39.70 million.
• Revenue rebounded to $59.04 million in FY2022 and $67.98 million in FY2023.
• FY2024 reached $71.99 million, followed by $81.02 million in FY2025.
• The latest year was up 12.55% from FY2024.

Note: BUF fiscal years ended March 31 through FY2022, then June 30 from FY2023 onward, so the series includes a reporting-calendar change.

NFTA’s FY2024 financial statements list a completed $72.2 million terminal and baggage-claim expansion at BNIA.

• The passenger terminal and baggage-claim expansion began in 2019 and was completed in 2022.
• NFTA also reported a main-runway rehabilitation program with an estimated cost of about $92.2 million.
• Construction related to the main-runway project began in 2023 and was being carried out in 2 phases.
• BUF also received $4.4 million in federal funds to replace up to 4 passenger boarding bridges.
• The airport’s Master Plan update is underway and expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Note: Project amounts come from official financial, planning or grant sources and should not be treated as final closeout costs.

BUF ranked 62nd among U.S. commercial service airports by passenger boardings in 2024.

• FAA classified BUF as a Primary Commercial Service, Medium Hub airport in the 2024 enplanement ranking.
• Within New York State, BUF ranked third by passenger boardings, behind JFK and LaGuardia.
• BUF recorded 2.50 million passenger boardings in 2024.
• The airport reports approximately $1.7 billion in annual economic activity, nearly 12,000 jobs and $127 million in annual state and local tax contributions.
• Its cross-border role remains important, with NFTA reporting that approximately 30% of BNIA passenger traffic originates from Canada.

Note: FAA rankings use passenger boardings, also called enplanements, not total passenger traffic.