2025 Air Traffic Almost at Pre-Pandemic Levels

Air passenger traffic in Canada last year was just a hair off the pre-pandemic highs of 2019. Data from Statistics Canada collected from passengers arriving and departing by plane in Canada shows that 158.9 million people enplaned and deplaned at Canadian airports in 2025, fully 97.6 percent of the number who flew in 2019. It’s also a modest increase from 2024 numbers: 1.3 percent more. 

Traffic at Canada’s four busiest airports was mostly up last year, with the exception of Montreal Trudeau (YUL), which fell slightly, by 0.4 percent year-over-year. Vancouver International (YVR) saw the largest growth (2.7 percent), followed by Calgary International (YYC) at 2 percent and Toronto Lester B. Pearson International (YYZ) which was up slightly at 0.4 percent.

Travel numbers to the U.S. fell on flights to and from the United States by 7.9 percent year over year to 29.4 million in 2025. That was offset by growing domestic air travel (up 2.9 percent) and international travel to destinations other than the U.S., which was up 5.1 percent. StatsCan notes that in response to waning interest in U.S. travel, several airlines cancelled transborder routes and began offering new routes to other international destinations. 

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2026, analysts shared that soaring jet fuel prices will likely have an impact on where and how often people travel by air, as well as the continued reluctance of Canadians to travel to the U.S. May marked the 16th consecutive month of year-over-year decrease in transborder air traffic, according to counts of screened passengers at Canada's eight largest airports. 

Related: June Travel Stats: Canadian Visits to the US Nudge Upwards

 

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