HSV lands No. 1 Best Small Airport title for second consecutive year

HUNTSVILLE – It was a title so nice, they won it twice.

For the second straight year, Huntsville International Airport is the choice of readers of Newsweek magazine and newsweek.com as the No. 1 Best Small Airport in the country.

In fact, HSV is the only airport in Alabama to have secured a spot among the airports selected from across the country by an editorial board for the voting contest.

“We are thrilled voters across Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley selected HSV as the Best Small Airport in the U.S. for the second straight year, and we appreciate the support of our customers in making this happen,” said Joey Ceci, chair of the airport’s Board of Directors. “Our number one airport has the number one customer base, and that’s what makes us successful.”

Airports are categorized by the Federal Aviation Administration as large, medium or small hubs depending on the percentage of annual passenger boardings at an airport in relation to the overall number of boardings in the U.S. Huntsville International Airport recorded its largest number of passengers, more than 1.6 million, in 2024.

According to newsweek.com, criteria by which the small hub airports were selected included nonstop flights to major cities and “regardless of size, shine in the service department.”

For the top 10 click here.

Airport CEO Butch Roberts acknowledged there are a lot of spaces – both inside and out – in the airport that are under construction. Project updates can be viewed at hsvrefresh.com.

“We appreciate that our customers are willing to vote for us in the middle of going through a $100 million expansion,” Roberts said. “Their trust and enthusiasm inspire us as we transform our terminal and increase the amenities we can offer our customers.”

Along with the upgraded airport food and beverage offerings coming – including the airport’s first Starbucks coffee shop and a new pizzeria – HSV is planning to build an additional 1400-space parking garage to handle the growing passenger demand for flights close to home.

“No doubt our best asset is our employees,” Roberts said. “Our whole team takes great pride in making our operations seamless and welcoming for the many customers that walk through our doors. We proudly celebrate this vote with the many employees at HSV.”