No nonstop flights — yet
Memphis Airport’s top unserved destinations
Memphis International Airport officials are continuing to work to bring more air service options to the area.
Glen Thomas is the Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority communications director. He noted the airport's policy isn't to discuss any prospective routes or negotiations with carriers until a service announcement has been made by an airline.
However, Thomas said each year airport officials meet with almost
every domestic carrier and a large number of international airlines looking to bring new air service to Memphis International Airport.
The airport currently serves 33 destinations. This includes Atlanta-based tour operator Vacation Express' typically offering service from Memphis International to Cancun during the summer.
Recruiting new air service and maintaining existing service are always the top priorities for the Airport Authority, said Terry Blue, Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority president and CEO.
“We call it the relentless pursuit of frequent and affordable air service,” he said. “As such, we are continually in discussions with our current airline partners and are always talking with prospective carriers, too. Working together with our various partner agencies, I am optimistic that we will continue to deliver wins for our community and those we serve.”
Memphis International Airport’s top 15 unserved destinations
Memphis International Airport shared data with The Commercial Appeal on the top 15 unserved destinations that do not currently have nonstop service to or from Memphis.
The data is based on the most passengers per day each way (PDEW). This measures how many passengers, on average, travel between the listed city and
Memphis each day.
h Morrisville, North Carolina (Raleigh-durham International Airport) 72 PDEW (Houston-based air-carrier Avelo no longer offers direct flight to Raleigh, North Carolina. The seasonal service ended in September 2023.)
h Austin, Texas (Austin-bergstrom International Airport) 69 PDEW
h Seatac, Washington (Seattle-tacoma International Airport) 67 PDEW
h San Diego, California (San Diego International Airport) 65 PDEW
h San Francisco, California (San Francisco International Airport) 54 PDEW
h San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio International Airport) 49 PDEW
h Jacksonville, Florida (Jacksonville International Airport) 48 PDEW
h Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico (Cancun International Airport) 42 PDEW
h Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh International Airport) 38 PDEW
h North Natomas, California (Sacramento International Airport) 38 PDEW
h Portland, Oregon (Portland International Airport) 38 PDEW
h Norfolk, Virginia (Norfolk International Airport) 38 PDEW
h Santa Ana, California (John Wayne/orange County Airport) 34 PDEW
h Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport) 32 PDEW
h Richmond, Virginia (Richmond International Airport) 31 PDEW.
Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-2931610.