Portland International Airport (PDX) News

[maccoinnich]

June 2025 statistics for PDX are out, albeit annoyingly still with the calculation errors on page 3. Overall, June '25 passenger numbers are up 7.1% over '24, and 7.7% year-to-date. International passengers are down -9.5% for June and -7.3% year-to-date, however Icelandair, British Airways and Condor are all up (with British Airways doing particularly well).

Alaska mainline is up 34.5% in June, and indeed 14.52% over June 2019. Hawaiian is also up 9.2% in June and Horizon 8.7%. It definitely seems like AAG's plans to increase connections at Portland are working.

[downtownpdx]

Thanks for sharing. Hopefully the strong Alaska numbers translate to more nonstops, including international with a partner airline. I’m assuming the drop in overall international traffic is due to KLM having a reduced frequency to Amsterdam after replacing the Delta flight.

[maccoinnich]

I think that plus the fact that a) Air Canada unfortunately isn’t operating their seasonal flight to Toronto this year and b) Volaris is operating 7x a week to Guadalajara, where they’ve operated 9x a week previously (I think because they’re still dealing with manufacturing problems with their engines, and thus don’t have a full fleet).

I do hope the Alaska buildup entices more of their partners to fly to Portland. Coming off a Condor flight last week I saw a surprising number of people who were connecting rather than taking the bus to exit the terminal.

[mhays]

Alaska's moves are designed in part to funnel international traffic to Sea-Tac. Sea-Tac international traffic was up 12% through May, on pace for 7,200,000 or so.

[downtownpdx]

Oh I know, I’m just hoping PDX lands an Asian nonstop sometime soon again and I’d imagine the additional passenger volume from connecting routes with Alaska would help improve the odds.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

Oh I know, I’m just hoping PDX lands an Asian nonstop sometime soon again and I’d imagine the additional passenger volume from connecting routes with Alaska would help improve the odds.

Interesting the bump in Alaska, but clear trend down by Southwest and Delta, amongst the major airlines. I wonder what that does to KLM, who I assume rely heavily on Delta feeders (or is that KLM reduction to semi-weekly flights the reason for fewer Delta passengers?). The BA increase does match the Alaska/American bump.

Hard to think, absent a massive Port subsidy, Asian airlines are considering PDX in wake of Intel collapse (with no clear path forward). I'd assume Intel is/would be a major reason for Asia direct flights, at least for Biz and 1st class seats that pay the bills for the majors.

[downtownpdx]

PDX has had Asian nonstop service since the 80s, and despite the current troubles at Intel and a struggling tech sector, the local economy and population are still much larger than decades past. So it would seem to me that if Portland/Oregon have healthy support for four overseas carriers to Europe and Iceland, one Asian flight would certainly be doable.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

PDX has had Asian nonstop service since the 80s, and despite the current troubles at Intel and a struggling tech sector, the local economy and population are still much larger than decades past. So it would seem to me that if Portland/Oregon have healthy support for four overseas carriers to Europe and Iceland, one Asian flight would certainly be doable.

PDX was a connecting hub for Delta back then though, with a need to have a west coast base to be able to fly the long distance needed.

https://www.weninchina.com/transpac-pioneers/delta-mini-hub-in-portland

[downtownpdx]

That was a great article, thanks for sharing. It really was an impressive time in the 90s for PDX to have so many Asian nonstops. Hopefully something can reemerge soon. I know I’m a broken record but if Alaska continues to beef up its hub here, a partner airline might be able to pull off a Tokyo or Seoul flight. Condor, Icelandair, British Airways and KLM operate nonstops across the Atlantic, and only recently has there been an Alaska hub schedule to help feed some of them.

[maccoinnich]

From today's PDX Community Advisory Committee: Port of Portland officials have been meeting with Korean Air in Seoul, and expect to receive a decision this fall about whether KE will start to PDX in Spring '26. They describe it as being as "right on the edge" of being viable, and if not a '26 start, they're very confident about a '27 start. The other major international destination they're targeting "albeit with a little less fervor than Seoul" is Mexico City.

From the terminal: the goal to open South Node in January and the North Node in March, but this could slip a little bit; exit lanes may open sooner than concessions in order to get rid of the temporary bypasses. This is a high priority because each bypass eliminates 3 gates and they want those gates back. Work on other areas, including baggage claim area will continue afterwards.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

From today's PDX Community Advisory Committee: Port of Portland officials have been meeting with Korean Air in Seoul, and expect to receive a decision this fall about whether KE will start to PDX in Spring '26. They describe it as being as "right on the edge" of being viable, and if not a '26 start, they're very confident about a '27 start. The other major international destination they're targeting "albeit with a little less fervor than Seoul" is Mexico City.

From the terminal: the goal to open South Node in January and the North Node in March, but this could slip a little bit; exit lanes may open sooner than concessions in order to get rid of the temporary bypasses. This is a high priority because each bypass eliminates 3 gates and they want those gates back. Work on other areas, including baggage claim area will continue afterwards.

Mexico City would be cool. Was just chatting with a friend how interesting it is you can get from so many airports in the US to the resort Mexican cities, but Mexico City itself only flies to the largest US airports. It's THE largest metro area in North America! 5th largest in the entire world. And yet it never seems to be on people's international destination list to visit.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

And yet it never seems to be on people's international destination list to visit.

We must have different friend groups!

[subterranean]

It's got a lot more positive attention from Americans since Covid - and blowback from locals about expats.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

We must have different friend groups!

I mean I’ve known people to go, which is more than I know that go to Mexican resort towns. But wayyy more people go to Europe/Asia. Using flights as data point, 4 routes from pdx to resorts towns, none to Mexico City. Must mean something regarding demand for each. And really, a bit shocking given the sheer size of Mexico City. I bet most Americans have no idea that Mexico City is quite a bit larger than NYC. Crazy for a city so close to the US.

[downtownpdx]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

I mean I’ve known people to go, which is more than I know that go to Mexican resort towns. But wayyy more people go to Europe/Asia. Using flights as data point, 4 routes from pdx to resorts towns, none to Mexico City. Must mean something regarding demand for each. And really, a bit shocking given the sheer size of Mexico City. I bet most Americans have no idea that Mexico City is quite a bit larger than NYC. Crazy for a city so close to the US.

I’ve never been to Mexico City, but I’d imagine most leisure travelers going south for sunny skies and a warm ocean just don’t even think of it. Funny though, I thought PDX had a nonstop to Guadalajara at some point? Go figure.

[colossalorder]

We used to have Portland to Mexico City direct flight on Aeromexico. I flew it back in 2018. In addition to Mexico City being an absolutely amazing place to visit, it was a great way to connect to destinations in South America.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

Funny though, I thought PDX had a nonstop to Guadalajara at some point? Go figure.

We do, with a frequency that varies from 7x to 10x a week. During parts of covid I think it might have been the only international flight PDX had.

[PhillyPDX]

I was just looking to book pdx to mdw in December, and I see southwest is reducing flights to one per day, with terrible flight times each way. Starting in November.

Is southwest looking to drastically reduce pdx flights? Once per day, and bad times, is pretty shocking. To one of Southwest’s primary hubs and major east coast connector. Almost like SW is giving up pdx to Alaska.

Currently at 4 daily flights, maybe due to summer travel. But once per day seems like something for a small airport, not a relatively large one like pdx.

[sopdx]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

I was just looking to book pdx to mdw in December, and I see southwest is reducing flights to one per day, with terrible flight times each way. Starting in November.

Is southwest looking to drastically reduce pdx flights? Once per day, and bad times, is pretty shocking. To one of Southwest’s primary hubs and major east coast connector. Almost like SW is giving up pdx to Alaska.

Currently at 4 daily flights, maybe due to summer travel. But once per day seems like something for a small airport, not a relatively large one like pdx.

In today's PBJ, Southwest is increasing its flights between PDX and SAN.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by sopdx

In today's PBJ, Southwest is increasing its flights between PDX and SAN.

I wonder why giving up on their major Chicago hub then? This is what I expect from a small city, not a major metro like Portland. And west bound flight getting in at 12:30am, scheduled. Oof that’s terrible.

And based on prior year numbers, SW decreased pdx overall, whereas Alaska jumped.