John Wayne Airport passenger traffic rose 7.7% in December to 891,500 compared with the same month last year. All flights to and from the OC airport decreased 16% to 20,700 from December 2018.
Traffic for the full year was flat at 10.7 million passengers; flights were down 5% to 301,100.
Commercial flights in December were flat at 7,550 and were down 2% for the full year. Commuter flights—scheduled flights on planes with fewer than 70 seats—again surged, this time by 33% to 411 flights. Commuter flights in 2019 tripled to 5,360.
General aviation passengers, about 60% of total aircraft operations in December, dropped 24% to 12,730.
International passengers totaled 12,840 on 119 flights for the month, down 16% and 26% each.
The three busiest airlines in December by passenger count were Southwest Airlines at 274,800; American Airlines at 153,400; and United Airlines with 141,100 passengers.
