A new global airport travel study has revealed passenger traffic at both Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport have sharply decreased from 2024 to 2025.

The analysis from travel magazine LocalsInsider examined recently released data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the U.S. International Trade Association, and a nationwide survey to determine the following American traveler habits: The most popular U.S. and international destinations, emerging hotspots, and destinations on the decline. The study covered passenger travel trends from January through July 2025.

In the report's ranking of the 40 U.S. airports with the sharpest declines in passenger traffic, Dallas Love Field (DAL) had the 11th steepest drop, while Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) ranked 33rd on the list.

More than 5.13 million arrivals were reported at DAL from January through July 2024, compared to over 4.75 million during the same seven-month period in 2025. According to the data, that's a 7.4 percent drop in passenger traffic year-over-year, or a loss of 380,295 passengers.

DFW had a higher numerical decrease in passenger traffic from 2024 to 2025 – with 578,715 fewer arrivals reported – but it only represents a 2.4 percent drop in arrivals overall. More than 23.83 million passengers arrived in DFW during the first seven months of 2024, compared to 23.25 million this year.

Despite the year-over-year drop in passenger traffic, the report also dubbed DFW as the No. 3 most popular destination in the country for 2025. DFW had the third-highest rate of air passenger traffic out of all U.S. airports from January to May 2025, amounting to 13,853,733 arrivals.

"Despite the rise of secondary airports and new emerging hotspots, the busiest hubs still dominate when it comes to raw passenger traffic," the report's author wrote. "These destinations remain leaders due to a mix of business, tourism, and international connectivity."

It is currently unclear whether these local airports' passenger traffic may soon see improvements as federal agencies reopen. DAL and DFW had both been included on the Federal Aviation Administration's list of 40 "high volume" airports that would experience capacity cuts and flight cancellations due to the government shutdown. However, USAToday warns that flight disruptions may continue as the FAA evaluates whether services can return to normal.

Passenger traffic declines at other Texas airports
It appears most major Texas airports had drops in passenger traffic from 2024 to 2025. DAL was the worst offender in the state, and Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) saw a 7.1 percent decline, representing the second-steepest drop in passenger arrivals in Texas.

Over 4.26 million passengers arrived at HOU from January to July 2024, but that number fell by nearly 301,000 passengers during the same time period this year. Only 3.96 million passengers arrivals were reported at HOU during the first seven months of 2025.

This is how passenger traffic has fallen at other major Texas airports from 2024 to 2025:

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS):

• 6,107,597 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2024
• 5,828,396 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2025
• -4.6 percent – Year-over-year passenger change

• 2,937,870 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2024
• 2,836,774 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2025
• -3.4 percent – Year-over-year passenger change

• 1,094,431 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2024
• 1,076,845 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2025
• -1.6 percent – Year-over-year passenger change