Total passenger count in MIA continues to rise year-after-year, and with the prospect of three new International direct routes in December, and record-breaking Thanksgiving traffic. Over the last 30 days, passenger traffic is up 13% compared to last year, and 15% compared to 2019, said Greg Chin, communications director at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.
Nov. 13 was the busiest day so far at MIA, with 152,336 daily passengers and 980 domestic and international flights, followed by Nov.18, the Friday before Thanksgiving, with 151,946 daily passengers and 986 flights.
New International routes coming up in December include Avianca Airlines, starting seasonal service with three weekly flights to Bucaramanga, Colombia and two weekly flights to Santa Marta, Columbia. Also, Air Canada will launch 3 weekly flights to Vancouver starting Dec. 17. Additionally, in October Aer Lingus resumed its Dublin service three times a week for the first time since the pandemic stopped operations.
Also, Japan Airlines is courting to start Miami-Tokyo flights. A direct Japan-to-Miami air route would be a “game changer,” to Miami’s Japanese business community, says Kazuhiro Nakai, consul general of Japan in Miami. Japan Airlines is looking at a Boeing 787, a mid-sized, wide body twin-engine jet airline. The jet would carry both cargo and passengers, Mr. Nakai said. As far as cargo outbound jets probably would carry spare parts and inbound flights, perishable goods. The distance between Miami and Tokyo is 7,454 miles, taking about 14 hours and 39 minutes. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner-9 carries 296 passengers and has a range of 7,565 nautical miles, according to Boeing.