In the span of a decade, the Dayton International Airport went from being the 80th largest commercial airport in the nation to the 126th largest, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of data from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The airport also has had a bumpy start to 2025 with the news that PSA Airlines is moving its headquarters out of Dayton and Air Wisconsin may lay off 200 people who work out of the local aviation facility.
Melissa Riley Patsiavos, marketing and air services development manager for Dayton’s aviation department, said aviation officials believe passenger traffic at the airport will rebound to pre-pandemic levels but that will take time.
“Based on future schedules, airlines are showing confidence in the market served by the airport,” she said. “For the first half of 2025, scheduled seat capacity is up almost 9% over the same period in 2024.”
Passenger traffic
The Dayton International Airport had about 645,930 passenger boardings in 2024, which was up 4% from 2023.
Local passenger traffic increased more than 6% in 2023 and nearly 9% in 2022.
But that growth came after enplanements plummeted by more than 60% during the first year of COVID in 2020.
The Dayton airport had about 892,400 boardings in 2019. The next year, the airport recorded 337,500 enplanements.
Passenger traffic was already declining before COVID.
The Dayton International Airport was the 80th largest commercial airport in the nation in 2013, with 1.24 million enplanements, FAA data show.
But the local aviation facility then dropped in the rankings for 10 straight years.
It fell to the 86th spot in 2016; the 104th spot in 2019; and the 113th in 2021.
The airport then tumbled 10 spots in 2022 to 123rd, before slipping three more places in the rankings in 2023. FAA data for 2024 is not yet available.
PSA, Air Wisconsin
Local business leaders say they are encouraged by the growth in passenger traffic last year. They say the airport is an important asset, especially for the business community.
“One of Dayton’s biggest advantages is our ease of access and business amenities,” said Chris Kershner, president and CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “Dayton International Airport is a business travelers airport.”
But economic development leaders last month expressed disappointment when PSA Airlines announced it will be relocating its corporate headquarters from Dayton to Charlotte, North Carolina, which could impact about 350 jobs.
PSA Airlines, which is a subsidiary of the American Airlines Group, said it will continue to have about 550 team members in Dayton, but 350 local employees are being invited to move to Charlotte. The airline has been headquartered in Dayton for decades.
PSA operates a fleet of Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 jets with flight crew bases in Dayton, Charlotte, Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
The airline said it has about 5,000 employees companywide who operate more than 700 daily flights to nearly 100 destinations.
Shortly after PSA’s announcement, news broke that Air Wisconsin Airlines is looking at laying off about 200 employees at the Dayton airport.
Air Wisconsin said the job reductions are expected to be temporary for 185 union workers and permanent for about 20 managers and salaried employees.
Air Wisconsin said the layoffs are part of a new business strategy. The regional air carrier plans to focus on charter operations and air service to smaller markets that are guaranteed a minimum level of air service under a federal program.
Air Wisconsin currently only operates air service to Chicago out of Dayton for American Airlines.
American Airlines says it will transition the Chicago service to other regional providers and no routes out of Dayton will be cancelled.
DAY’s importance
Riley Patsiavos, air services development manager, said passenger traffic last year increased by more than scheduled seat capacity, which is a good sign.
According to Riley Patsiavos, American Airlines last year increased the number of Dayton flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport by 14% and flights to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport by 5%.
She also said United Airlines increased capacity by 289% to Denver and 7% to Washington Dulles International Airport.
“As demand grows and airlines are satisfied with overall route performance, they strategically increase the number of departing flights and seats at airports,” Riley Patsiavos said. “The number of new flights to these important markets is key to increasing passenger traffic at DAY.”
Riley Patsiavos said air service and passenger traffic have been impacted in recent years by pilot shortages, supply chain challenges, changes in travel behaviors and the elimination of smaller regional jets by legacy carriers.
She said the Dayton airport can grow and obtain new air service if community members choose to utilize existing flights.
“The best way to show the airlines that we need more flights out of DAY is to use the current flights,” she said.
Local leaders say the Dayton International Airport does a good job of competing for passengers with larger airports in driving distance because of its convenience. Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis all have larger airports.
“The airport, located by I-70/I-75 for anyone working in the Dayton area, you can park adjacent to the airport and not ride a shuttle, travelers get through security in five minutes and there is a lounge exclusive for business travelers,” said Kershner, with the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “All of these amenities save a business traveler valuable time and frustrations.”
Ohio’s other airports
The Dayton International Airport has now recovered about 70% of its passenger traffic, compared to 2019, pre-COVID. Ohio’s larger airports have fared better.
By the end of 2023, the airports that serve Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland had recovered 97% to 98% of the passenger traffic that they lost during the pandemic. All three airports said they saw enplanement growth last year.
After Dayton’s facility, Ohio’s other largest airports are the Akron-Canton Airport and the Toledo Express Airport, which respectively have recovered about 84% and 57% of their pre-COVID enplanement levels.
The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) was the 49th largest U.S. airport in 2023. It was the 53rd busiest aviation facility a decade earlier.
The John Glenn Columbus International Airport has consistently been ranked the 50th largest airport in the country. The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport was the 46th busiest airport in 2023 — down from 40th in 2013.
In 2023, the Akron-Canton Airport was the 161st largest airport, while the Toledo Express Airport ranked 250th.
Akron-Canton was the 92nd largest airport a decade earlier. Back then, Toledo’s airport was the 238th largest.
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