Hartsfield-Jackson: Passenger traffic up in September

ATLANTA -- The world's busiest airport keeps getting busier.

Passenger traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in September increased 3.24 percent compared to a year earlier, officials said. Nearly 7.5 million people passed through the airport during the month.

In addition, the number of international travelers increased by 7 percent in September when compared to the same month a year earlier.

“Our passenger traffic continues to grow, despite the difficult economic environment we are all experiencing,” Aviation General Manager Louis Miller said in a news release. “We anticipate continued growth during the remainder of 2011 as we approach the traditionally busy holiday season.”

Concurrently, passenger traffic year-to-date (through September) is up 3.96 percent over the first nine months of 2010. Nearly 69.7 million people have passed through the airport so far this year.

Interestingly, the number of landings and takeoffs decreased by almost 3.5 percent in September. So far this year, the number of landings and takeoffs are down by more than 2.8 percent, the airport said.