FYI Miami: August 7, 2025

AIR PASSENGERS DECLINE: Passenger traffic at Miami International Airport fell by 400,000 in the first half of the year from the record-setting six-month totals of 2024, the airport’s traffic report shows. That was a loss of 1.38% year over year, as 28.52 million total passengers were recorded. International passengers declined by 1.17% to 12.6 million in the six months, while domestic passengers fell 1.56% to just under 15.9 million. Total seats available in flights totaled a shade under 34 million, up 0.49% from the first six months of 2024.

RAISING UNIVERSITY FEES: The Florida International University Board of Trustees last week increased by 10% costs for out-of-state students during the upcoming school year. Approving the same 10% were trustees of the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Florida and Florida State University. Those fees are charged to out-of-state students on top of the tuition charged to all students. University of South Florida trustees Chairman Will Weatherford called the USF increase the result of a “statewide policy decision.” The state university system’s Board of Governors in June approved allowing universities to increase out-of-state student fees. The increases will not affect in-state students. At the University of Central Florida, for example, 3,992 students will be affected. Officials at the universities said they have not raised out-of-state fees for more than a decade but they have seen increased costs.

TRANSIT USE FALLS: Miami-Dade County mass transit ridership fell 8.4% in April, the latest county figures show. That’s identical to the 8.4% decline in March. Transit use in April did remain 3.2% above the ridership in April of 2019, the last year before Covid-19 knocked out more than two-thirds of all transit use in the county. The big April drop was the loss of 13.4% of bus passengers compared with April of last year. Year-over-year bus ridership has now dropped in every month since last October. Metrorail ridership, meanwhile, showed a 0.9% gain year over year, while use of the free Metromover increased 12.6%.

SOLID JOB GAINS: Miami-Dade added 42,600 jobs in the first six months of this year, fifth highest increase in the nation among the 12 largest metropolitan areas, according to a report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. First in the nation was the New York metropolitan area, which added 110,100 jobs, followed by Los Angeles at 53,600 and Philadelphia at 46,500. The San Francisco area had the worst performance, losing 14,800 jobs, with Boston losing 2,200.

These are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.