OREANDA-NEWS. Following two strong quarters to open 2015, the already-rapid pace of passenger growth at Miami International Airport picked up yet again in the third quarter of 2015. Total passenger traffic at MIA was up 7.82 percent through the third quarter compared to the same time period last year. Through September, the global gateway welcomed 33.1 million travelers, equating to 2.4 million additional passengers compared with the first three quarters of 2014. Domestic travelers again led the way with double-digit 10.1 percent year-over-year growth and totaled 17.2 million through the third quarter. The number of international travelers at MIA grew by 5.43 percent to 15.9 million.

"The good news story at Miami International Airport continues to get even better, and I applaud the professional team at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department for pushing our community's economic engine to even greater heights," said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.

MIA's big third quarter performance was buoyed by the always-busy summer travel season, which includes July and the first half of August. Just as important to passenger growth was the month of September.

Typically a slow month for the airport, MIA's September passenger totals this year were more than 15 percent higher than the previous year's. The addition of Aruba Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas' all-new flights to Cordoba in July also contributed to strong third quarter results. The final three months of 2015 at MIA promise even more growth:
• The holiday travel season will be in full swing;
• Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Finnair will introduce all-new scheduled service to Miami;
• Airbus A380 superjumbo service on British Airways and Air France will begin;
• Lufthansa will add expanded seasonal service to Munich;
• Frontier Airlines begins daily scheduled service to Las Vegas
• and Virgin Atlantic and SWISS will add additional daily frequencies

"Our third quarter performance was even better than the first two, and now we're charging full speed ahead towards the year-end finish line with an incredible lineup of new destinations, new carriers, and new aircraft," said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez. "MIA is getting better by the day, and we're grateful to the many millions of passengers who are making us their choice in air travel."