More than 25 million people traveled through Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in 2016, surpassing the previous record by more than 1.29 million, Governor Larry Hogan announced Tuesday.
A total of 25,122,651 passengers flew through BWI in 2016, up 5 percent from 23,823,532 in 2015, when the previous record was set.
"This record-setting growth reflects the importance of BWI Marshall Airport to the Baltimore-Washington region and our state," Hogan said in a statement. "Our administration is committed to the continued success of BWI Marshall and its role as a vital transportation and economic development resource."
BWI also set new monthly records for each month during 2016 and has now broken monthly passenger records for the past 18 consecutive months, according to data provided by the airport.
International passenger traffic surpassed 1,233,400 million passengers in 2016, also a new record, and was the second-straight year with more than one million international passengers.
The airport expects to award a $60 million contract this week for an expansion of Concourse E, its international wing, part of a project that will ultimately cost about $100 million.
"New airlines and service to new domestic and international destinations have led to steady growth and new records," BWI CEO Ricky Smith said in a statement. "We continue to emphasize customer service, affordable airline fares, and an efficient travel experience for our passengers. The new passenger record is the highlight of an outstanding year."
According to airport data, passenger traffic grew throughout the year for a number of airlines serving BWI, including: Southwest Airlines, the airport's dominant carrier, as well as Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Condor, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines and WOW air.