Canadian air travellers are enjoy better pricing, with airfares down 19.4% in October compared to the same month in 2022. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Canada’s two leading carriers remain at the bottom of the list of North American carriers for on-time performance.
Statistics Canada says airfares have dropped significantly over the past year, as airlines have boosted capacity while consumers have grappled with high inflation in their daily lives. Last year, post-pandemic demand exceeded airline capacity, with sky-high fares the result.
In its consumer price index (CPI) report issued Tuesday, StatsCan said the price of air transportation was down nearly 20% year-over-year, a similar result to August and September. The data also revealed that airfares declined 4% on a monthly basis in October – a time when they typically rise ahead of the holiday season.
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On-time performance is still a challenge for Canada's largest airlines. (Photo Credit: Getty Images / bunhill)
Regarding the on-time performance situation, new aviation data from Cirium shows that Canada’s two biggest airlines -- Air Canada and WestJet – ranked at the bottom for on-time performance among the top 10 North American carriers.
More than 8,700 Air Canada flights -- nearly 28% of total flights -- arrived late by 15 minutes of more in October, placing the airline ninth out of 10. WestJet came in 10th, with nearly 29% per cent of planes arriving late.
With on-time percentages of 72% and 71% respectively, Air Canada and WestJet are below the North American average of 80%. United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and Alaska Airlines all topped 85%.
Cirium reports that Canadian carriers are now operating with a seat capacity at 92% of 2019 pre-pandemic numbers.
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