Miami International Airport, also known as MIA, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami area. With over 1000 flights daily to just under 100 destinations both domestically and internationally, it is primarily known for its connections to Latin America and the Caribbean.
What motivated you to join Miami International Airport in 2013, and what changes have you observed over the past decade?
I have almost 34 years of county service, working with four different departments, and about 11 years ago, I started working for the aviation department, worked my way up, and have been the director for the last three years. I have been a lifelong aviation buff and grew up watching aeroplanes take off and land here as a child, so it was a natural fit when the opportunity came up.
We have seen explosive growth in passenger volume over the last three years. In 2019, we had about 46 million passengers. In 2020 during the pandemic, it dropped to 18.7 million. We bounced back to 33.5 million in 2021, and in 2022, we set a record with 50.7 million passengers. Last year, we had 52.3 million passengers, a 3% increase from the previous year.
So far this year, we're up 10.4% over last year's record-breaking numbers. The industry has recovered much faster than the expected 8-10 years. We’ve been the fastest-growing airport in the US regarding seat capacity, and are on our way to meeting our projection of 77 million passengers by 2040. Cargo also carried us through the pandemic. In 2020, we had a record-breaking year for cargo volume with over 2.3 million tons, which rose to 2.8 million tons in 2023.
What factors are contributing to the rising demand for air travel in 2024?
Florida is the third most populated state in the U.S., and we're seeing a lot of people traveling through and relocating to Florida from larger cities like San Francisco, LA, and New York. Florida's positive tax structure and weather are significant draws. This relocation trend, along with tourism and connecting travel, contributes to our overall numbers. Business travel, international travel, and domestic travel have all bounced back post-pandemic, driven by pent-up demand from people not traveling.
How large is Miami International Airport’s current airline portfolio and is the roster expanding?
We are considered the gateway to the Americas; Central America, South America, and the Caribbean are our bread and butter. Right now, we have the highest number of airlines of any airport in the country, almost at 100. We have several new airlines starting this year, pushing us over 100. Recently, we added Condor Airlines to Frankfurt, Level Airlines to Barcelona, and Viva Aerobus to Monterey, Mexico. Our cargo operations are also growing, with China Cargo Airlines starting service soon. Our airline portfolio is very robust, with a significant focus on Latin America. We are also expanding our European routes, adding airlines to cities like Paris, Berlin, and Toronto.
We're working on establishing a direct flight from Tokyo to MIA. We've been in discussions with Japan Airlines and had a successful trade mission to Japan last November. This route would be the first direct service between Asia and MIA, and we're very excited about it. It's a few years away, but we are laying the groundwork and have already had direct charter flights from Japan for events like the World Baseball Classic, which have been successful.
As one of America’s busiest passenger and cargo airports, what are the greatest challenges MIA faces in 2024?
One of our main challenges is that some segments of our terminal have aging infrastructure. We're initiating a $7 billion capital improvement program consisting of over 150 projects over the next 15 years to expand and modernize our terminals and concourses. Additionally, we have a $1.7 billion maintenance program to address deferred maintenance in older sections of our terminals such as elevators, escalators, moving walkways, bathroom reservations etc.
Miami is also known for hurricanes and frequent lightning, so weather is another big challenge which affects ground stops and delays. We also work closely with TSA and Custom Border Protection on staffing to manage our high passenger volume. We do have long lines, but they move relatively quickly. But we can do better, so we are implementing technology like facial recognition and installing biometric boarding at our gates to improve efficiency and reduce wait times. Of our 130 gates, we have completed 74, and are finishing the rest now.
Safety is a front-of-mind consideration for travellers in 2024. Given these heightened concerns, how are you strengthening safety and security at MIA?
We are very proud that MIA was the first U.S. airport selected by TSA to test drone detection technology and a perimeter intrusion detection system. We have already detected three or four improper uses of drones and our technology detects all kinds of incursions. Also, we work closely with our federal partners to secure funding and ensure they can hire the necessary staff. As a county department, we rely on our federal legislative team and local congressional delegation to represent us.
We also have a dedicated police station at the airport with 160 assigned officers, and two fire stations on the property. Our Miami-Dade Police and Fire Departments, along with CBP and TSA do an excellent job keeping us safe. We've had successful FAA inspections and exceptionally fast response times to incidents, like the Red Air crash in 2022. We want every customer to have a positive experience when they arrive and leave Miami, making safety, security, and customer experience our main focus.
