CHICAGO — The city's No. 2 airport set a record for paying passengers last year, officials say.
Midway International Airport reported 9.67 million "enplanements" in 2012, meaning revenue passengers boarding an aircraft. That broke the 85-year-old airport's previous record of 9.5 million set in 2004.
“Midway continues to be one of the fastest-growing airports in the U.S. and has emerged as one of the nation’s premier airports for domestic service,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel called the airport “a major driver of economic activity and job growth for the city of Chicago."
Southwest Airlines was credited for the growth in adding seven new nonstop markets. Two more Florida markets and additional international service to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic will be added this year. Volaris Airlines' new service to Mexico also padded the 2012 figures.
Midway's passenger totals are still dwarfed by O'Hare International Airport, which handles more than 75 million passengers a year.
