The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is seeing strong growth in its passenger traffic, judging by recent numbers released by the airport authority.

More than 2.9 million passengers passed through the airport in 2018, which is a 10 percent increase compared to the 2.7 million passengers who used BHM in 2017.

January of this year saw a new record - BHM served 224,012 passengers, an almost 16 percent increase in passengers over the previous year.

What’s behind the increase? The Birmingham Airport Authority attributes the January numbers to working with the airlines to add more seats and flights from the Birmingham community, particularly during college football season. American Airlines and United Airlines added flights to San Jose and San Francisco, Calif., for Alabama’s appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

“This growth is a direct result of the Birmingham community creating demand for the airlines by making BHM their airport of choice when flying to their gameday destinations,” Sylvester Lavender, Birmingham Airport Authority’s Interim President and CEO, said. “We anticipate our passenger numbers to continue to rise throughout the year as more routes and flights will be added for both business and leisure travelers."

In January, Via Airlines selected Birmingham as a focus city, and is adding four cities for nonstop service beginning in April.