That increase could mean even more economic growth if it continues, according to a new study by a Washington think tank.
The report is the first study of its kind to track the flow of passengers between U.S. metro areas and points abroad. The study ranked the 100 largest metro areas for the number of passengers traveling to and from international destinations through their airports. It also evaluated the most popular international metro areas based on passengers traveling to and from the U.S., as well as the most trafficked corridors between U.S. and international metro areas.
Since 2003, Salt Lake City saw its volume of international passengers jump 32.1 percent, while its ranking for passenger travel climbed from No. 30 to No. 27.
Between 1990 and 2011, international passengers increased by 117 percent compared with a 53 percent growth in the number of domestic passengers, the report stated.
Nearly all U.S.-based international passengers start or end their journeys in the airports of the nation's 100 largest metro areas, led by New York with 21.6 percent of all international passengers in 2011.
The growth in international air passenger levels shows how much U.S. metropolitan economies interact with their international peers, reinforcing vital business and tourism relationships, said Adie Tomer, study co-author and senior research associate. Deseret News
