After setting a new record for annual passenger traffic in 2010, Miami International Airport continued to reach new heights in the first quarter of 2011 with the most passengers ever during that period.  MIA served more than 9.3 million travelers in the first three months of the year for an increase of 6.1 percent over the same period last year. Through March, international passenger traffic jumped 7.95 percent and domestic passengers grew 4.55 percent over last year.

MIA’s traffic was boosted by record-breaking numbers from American Airlines. On Saturday, March 12, the airline boarded 39,283 passengers at MIA - a record day for their Miami hub. The next day on Sunday, March 13, marked the second-highest figures for boarded passengers, with 38,914 customers. Despite a fire at the airport’s fuel farm on March 23 that caused hundreds of canceled and delayed flights, passenger traffic for the month of March still grew five percent over last year.

March also saw the launch of two new international routes and expanded service to London and Florida.  KLM Airlines began four-times-a-week service from Amsterdam on March 21 and Iberia began three-times-a-week service from Barcelona on March 29. On March 26, Delta Air Lines began daily service from London-Heathrow, in addition to four daily flights from Jacksonville and five daily flights from both Orlando and Tampa. Service between London and MIA is also provided by American Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

More expansion is on the way to MIA in June with four-times-a-week service from Lisbon by TAP Portugal on June 6, twice-weekly service from Amsterdam by ArkeFly on June 24, and the launch of service by Lufthansa between Miami and Frankfurt with the Airbus A380, the largest passenger service aircraft in the world.

Passenger traffic at MIA in 2010 grew by five percent for a new all-time annual record of 35.7 million passengers.