TUS January eNews

REAL ID Deadline May 2025

Effective May 7, 2025, only the REAL ID, a U.S. passport and other federally approved identification will be accepted at TSA airport security checkpoints for domestic travel.

Visit www.AZDOT.gov to learn more about how to obtain a REAL ID.

Travelers without a REAL ID or Passport will not be able to pass through TSA checkpoints to board their flight.

Tucson International Airport Named in Top 10 for Shortest Delays

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS.gov) has named TUS in the top 10 for shortest delays in the country. The average delay length at TUS is only 7 minutes and 43 seconds. Coming in at number 10 on the list, our reliability speaks to the positive relationships the TAA has worked to build with our airline partners operating at TUS. Not only is TUS incredibly easy to use, but this statistic speaks to our industry-leading reliability, too. 

A More Accessible TUS

This year TUS will be joining the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program (HD Sunflower), a worldwide group dedicated to making travel easier for individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to make TUS as accessible as possible for all of southern Arizona. While we have systems in place to assist individuals with physical disabilities, this will allow us to be even more accommodating for individuals with hidden disabilities such as autism, epilepsy, and dyslexia. We expect the HD Sunflower to be fully rolled out in February 2025.

Destination Spotlight: Denver, Colorado (DEN)

Starting March 3, Frontier Airlines returns to TUS with a nonstop from TUS to DEN. TUS provides nonstop flights to Chicago Midway (MDW), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Denver (DEN). You can fly Southwest Airlines to/from MDW, American Airlines and United Airlines to/from ORD, and Southwest Airlines and United Airlines to/from DEN.

Known as the Mile High City of nearly 3 million people, which is the hub of the spectacular Rocky Mountain region for skiing with year-round outdoor activities. Explore the world’s largest  ski town, with sparkling activities and neighborhoods. Fun fact the mountainous area of Colorado is six times the size of Switzerland.

Discover an abundance of dazzling music, dance, theater, and visual arts pieces by visiting the Denver Art Museum, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Find more trip planning ideas at the Colorado Official Travel Guide. 

Photo Credits: Shutterstock

Holiday Season Success

The holiday season was certainly busy at TUS. While passenger counts are not yet final, we projected from December 18, 2024, to January 5, 2025, that 259,000 passengers would fly TUS. Our busiest day over the holiday rush was projected to see just over 16,000 travelers in one day. Holiday travel was projected to be up nearly 6% year over year. 

New Rotating Art Gallery at TUS

The Tucson International Airport (TUS) Arts and Culture Program consists of a permanent collection, three changing exhibit galleries, and a performance arts program, Live@TUS. As we start the new year, it is time to rotate the temporary art exhibition. Rotating art changes every six months. The first featured artist of the new changing exhibition gallery is Carolina Caples.

Carolina Caples was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1971. She received her BFA in Fine Art & Painting from the University of Arizona in 1993. She is the recipient of several grants including The Arizona Commission on the Arts Artist Opportunity Grants (FY 2022, 2023, & 2024) as well as the Project Creosote START award from the Arts Foundation for Tucson in southern Arizona (2022). Her work has been featured in the March 2023 issue of Suboart International Magazine #2. She has exhibited in galleries and public spaces including Untitled Gallery in Tucson, Arizona and Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, California. Her work is included in private collections across the United States and Europe and in the corporate collection of United Airlines. Carolina currently lives and works in Tucson, Arizona.