Mesa Gateway Airport's most popular route revealed

The latest: Nearly a dozen flights go to Provo each week, Ryan Smith, the communications and government relations director at Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, tells Axios.

What they're saying: Smith says the connectivity between the Valley and Provo is thanks to "a significant number of locals attending Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University."

Details: Allegiant operates the nonstop route, with an average flight time of about 90 minutes.

Zoom out: This route leads the pack at an airport that just topped 2 million annual passengers for the first time, according to an August press release.

The bottom line: For many Mesa residents, the 600-mile journey is simply a college commute.