Huntsville International Airport is now the back-to-back winner of a national award for airports of its size.

HSV has been named the No. 1 “Best Small Airport” in the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards. The airport also received the top honor last year.

“Small airport” is a Federal Aviation Administration designation based on an airport’s percentage of annual passenger boardings vs. total boardings across the United States. Huntsville International Airport recorded its largest-ever number of passengers, more than 1.6 million, in 2024.

“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, chairman of the airport’s board of directors, in a news release. “Our number one airport has the number one customer base, and that’s what makes us successful.”

HSV is in the middle of $100 million worth of capital improvements and expansions. A $14 million “concourse connector” overhaul designed to make entry and exit faster and more secure opened in March. A Starbucks coffee outpost and Interstellar Pizza are scheduled to launch in May, while in July, work is expected to be completed on a $5.7 million expansion of the concourse restrooms.

A facelift to the pre-security retail space will debut in September, while plans are in the works for a 1,400-space parking structure.

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

The other small airports in the Newsweek Readers’ Choice top 10 were:

• Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa.
• Seattle Paine Field in Everett, Wash.
• Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky.
• Santa Barbara Airport in California
• Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, N.H.
• Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C.
• Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in Louisiana
• Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport in Virginia
• Tweed-New Haven Airport in Connecticut