Located in south Florida, Miami International Airport (MIA) is one of the country’s busiest airports, accommodating more than 100 carriers, offering more flights to Latin America than any other airport in the United States and serving 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida.
Having handled a record-breaking 45 million passengers last year, MIA is focused on improving its facilities, operations and route network in order to become one of the world’s top passenger and cargo terminals.
“We are looking at all angles. We’re revamping terminals and using advanced biometrics at security checkpoints to give passengers a better experience. For the airlines, we are looking at different strategies to decrease the cost per passenger and employee,” MIA Director and CEO Lester Sola said.
For its long-term growth, MIA recently gained local approval for a multi-billion-dollar capital program designed to modernize and expand its concourses, as well as add two new airport hotels.
As tourism and business continue growing in the southern United States, MIA has recognized the increasing importance of Asia, particularly Japan, to its operations. Every year, approximately 40,000 passengers pass through the airport on their way to and from Japan.
“A lot of these travelers are from Latin America and take multiple connecting flights to reach Japan. With Miami being the gateway to those countries, there’s definitely a market for a direct flight between the region and Japan,” Sola said.
Because of its strategic location, MIA also handles more than $400 million in cargo annually to and from Japan.
“Our trip to Japan back in 2018 showed us that our focus should be on the Japanese market. We would love to establish a direct service with Japan and look forward to building partnerships with them,” Sola said.