ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Asheville Regional Airport served a record number of travelers last year, airport officials announced Friday.

AVL saw 1,838,793 passengers in 2022, an increase of 29% from 2021, the airport authority stated in a news release.

The airport has become the third-busiest in the state, airport president Lew Bleiweis said.

Related: Fast-growing utilization at Asheville Regional Airport

In July, the Biden administration announced $1 billion in grants to improve airport terminals across the U.S. as air travel rebounded from the COVID-19 epidemic.

AVL, among 85 airports in line for the grants, will receive $15 million that will go toward replacing a 61-year-old air traffic control tower and increasing terminal capacity, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Asheville airport supports more than 10,000 jobs, and an N.C. Department of Transportation study found AVL has a $2.26 billion impact on the region, the authority stated.

Allegiant, AmericanAirlines, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country Airlines and United provide flights at AVL.