International travel to and from US airports was at a record high in 2014, the US National Travel and Tourism Office said.
Airports handled 197.3 million passengers last year, an increase of 7% from 2013.
The report said 86.4 million US travelers flew overseas which was also up by 7% although US airlines’ share of the international market dropped to 52%.
Foreign owned carriers accounted for 95.2 million passengers, which was a year-over-year increase of 10% from 2013.
Figures show United Airlines was the top US carrier on international routes, handling over 30 million passengers, the equivalent of American Airlines and US Airways combined.
New York JFK remained the busiest international gateway airport, carrying 28.4 million passengers, way out in front ahead of Miami and Los Angeles.
The report’s findings showed Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was the fastest growing international gateway, recording a 10% increase in passengers.
International tourism globally in 2014 was also at a record high with the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer estimating a 4.7% increase to 1.138 billion international overnight journeys.
UNWTO forecasts a positive outlook with another 3-4% rise in 2015 for international tourism.
