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Harlingen’s Valley International Airport saw an increase of over 80,000 passengers in 2024 and was recently cited by an aviation news site as well-positioned for future growth.

VIA had 992,868 passengers pass through the airport last year, up from 908,910 in 2023, according to data from the airport. Arriving passengers totaled 475,043 and departing passengers totaled 517,825.

December was the airport’s busiest month with 95,859 passengers, while September was slowest with 67,468.

One contributor to the growth was Delta Air Lines initiating year-round service to Austin last October, in addition to its previous schedule of seasonal flights to Minneapolis. Delta had a total of 55,090 passengers at VIA last year, according to the airport data.

Southwest Airlines, which marked its 50th anniversary serving VIA last week, transported 607,915 passengers through the airport in 2024. It accounts for more than 50% of the traffic through the airport.

The aviation site Simple Flying said Valley International Airport could become Texas’ newest air travel gateway in a report released Feb. 2. Among the factors they cited were the airport’s convenient location in the Valley, consistent growth, and the large amount of space the airport has for future expansion.

VIA covers an area of over 2,500 acres, the website reported, and has the largest runways in South Texas, part of its legacy as a former military field.

Another asset cited was VIA’s cargo facilities. The airport ranks as one of the “80 largest airports in the United States by cargo traffic,” it said. VIA sees regular flights from FedEx Express and DHL Airlines, both of which operate cargo services with widebody freighters.

The post Valley International Airport sees boost in traffic in 2024 appeared first on MyRGV.com.