Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) served 1.6 million annual passengers in 2019, thanks to the addition of seven routes and more passengers filling seats on its six airlines,

Passenger numbers grew by 43%, the largest annual leap in the airport's history, making 2019 the sixth consecutive year of record growth, and the seventh consecutive year of growth, airport officials announced Thursday morning.

For two years, AVL has ranked as one of the fastest growing airports in the country, and growth is expected to continue into 2020, the airport said in a news release.

Seven routes were added in 2019 by four different airlines, with 19 nonstop destinations on the route map at year end.

Growth also occurred because more travelers purchased tickets to fly to and from AVL - on average, planes were about 80% full, even with an influx of new routes in the market, the release states. Most airlines added seats to existing routes in the market.

"The first thing I want to do is thank our local travelers for choosing to fly from AVL," said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., executive director. "And second, I want to thank our airline partners who have made long-term and solid investments in our community. Our region appreciates the incredible air service we have and the airlines who provide it.

“And I especially want to express sincere appreciation to the many employees at the airport who work hard every day to provide an exceptional airport experience for our passengers and visitors. What a year!"

Managing growth

"A 43% increase in customers in one year is exciting and challenging," said Bleiweis. "The team at AVL is committed to managing the growth well so our customers and business partners continue to have positive experiences."

To manage the significant and fast-paced growth, the airport is currently building additional parking for both passengers and aircraft. A remote shuttle parking lot will open in late spring or early summer, and will be located directly across the street (Asheville Highway) from the parking garage and terminal.

New aircraft parking is under construction south of the terminal, and will be completed by the end of the year, which will accommodate up to three additional planes. Next week, important utility upgrade work will begin along Terminal Drive.

Strategic planning for an expanded and renovated airport terminal is also underway, and more information about a design process will be shared with the community soon. Plans call for doubling the terminal size thanks to a $10 million-plus federal grant announced in November.

2020 opened with two announcements of new routes. On. Jan. 14, airport officials announced that Allegiant will begin offering seasonal nonstop flights in May to four new cities: Boston, Chicago and Houston and Austin, Texas.

Also beginning in May, American Airlines will offer nonstop, seasonal Saturday service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. (DCA), officials announced Jan. 16.

For more information about Asheville Regional Airport, visit flyavl.com.