Aviation
Airport Activity: Air Carrier Traffic at Canadian Airports, 2016

Highlights

The number of passengers enplaned and deplaned at Canadian airports reached 140.2 million in 2016, an increase of 5.0% compared to the previous year. It was the seventh consecutive annual increase following the economic slowdown of 2009. 

Increased activity at several of the country’s largest airports including: Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International (+8.0%), Vancouver International (+8.4%), Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (+6.3%), Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International (+6.0%) and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International (+5.6%) all contributed to the strong growth in passenger traffic.

Activity at the Fort McMurray airport in Alberta was impacted by a large wildfire in May 2016.  In response, all commercial air traffic at the airport was temporarily suspended until early June. As a result, passenger traffic at Fort McMurray fell 29% during the year, to 0.7 million passengers, its lowest level since 2011.

In 2016, all sectors experienced gains: the domestic sector expanded 4.8% (+3.8 million passengers), other international traffic rose 7.9% (+2.2 million) and transborder traffic (between Canada and the United States) increased 2.7% (+0.7 million).

For a third consecutive year the growth in other international passenger traffic (+7.9%) outpaced those of  the domestic and transborder sectors as both Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International and Vancouver International posted strong gains of 9.5% and 15.2% respectively. Together, these airports accounted for 67% of the 29.6 million passengers who enplaned and deplaned other international flights in Canada.

The weight of cargo loaded and unloaded at Canadian airports increased 3.7% in 2016 to just over 1.2 million tonnes. Domestic cargo increased 4.6% to 553,000 tonnes. Other international cargo was up 7.0% to 437,000 tonnes, while transborder tonnages decreased 3.9% to 226,000 tonnes.

Note to Users

Cargo data

It is important to note that the air cargo data presented does not represent the total cargo loaded and unloaded in Canada. Comprehensive cargo data are not collected for the following reasons:

1. the regional and local scheduled carriers do not file cargo data on the airport activity survey and,
2. the major charter survey does not collect data on domestic courier cargo or domestic entity cargo flights.

Passenger flights which carry cargo on them are classified as passenger flights. The cargo carried on these passenger flights is defined as belly-hold cargo. The belly-hold cargo data are included with the pure cargo data in the cargo table, CANSIM 401-0045.

Services offered by carriers

Scheduled Services

ABX Air Inc.

Aer Lingus

Aeromexico

Air Algerie

Air Canada

Air China

Air Creebec Inc.

Air France

Air Georgian Limited

Air Inuit Ltd.

Air New Zealand

Air North Charter Training Ltd.

Air St Pierre

Air Tindi Ltd.

Air Transat A.T. Inc.

Air Wisconsin

Aklak Air

Alaska Airlines

Alitalia

All Nippon Airways

American Airlines

Amik Aviation Ltd.

Arkefly

Atlas Air Inc.

Austrian Airlines

Aviation Consultants Inc.

Aviation Starlink Inc.

Bearskin Airlines

Bradley Air Services Limited

British Airways

Brussels Airlines

Buffalo Airways Ltd.

Calm Air International Ltd.

Canadian North Inc.

Cargojet Airways Ltd.

Cargolux Airlines International

Caribbean Airlines

Carson Air Ltd.

Castle Aviation

Cathay Pacific Airways

Central Mountain Air Ltd.

China Airlines

China Eastern Airlines

China Southern Airlines

Compass Airlines (North America)

Condor Flugdienst

Continental Airlines

COPA

Corilair Charters Limited

Corse Air Intl.

Cubana Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Edelweiss Air

EgyptAir

El Al Israel Airlines

Emirates Airlines

Empire Airlines

Enerjet

Envoy Air Inc.

Ethiopian Airlines

Etihad Airways

EVA Airways Corporation

Exploits Valley Air Services Ltd.

ExpressJet

FedEx

Finnair

Fly Jamaica Airways

Global Aviation

GoJet Airlines LLC

Griffing Flying Service

Hainan Airlines

Harbour Air Ltd.

Hawkair Aviation Services Ltd.

Helijet International Inc.

Horizon Air Industries Inc.

Icelandair

Inland Air Charters Ltd.

Integra Air Inc.

Island Express Air Inc.

JAL-Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd.

Jazz Air Inc.

JDR Pacific Ventures Ltd.

Jet Airways India

Jet Linx Aviation

K D Air Corporation

Keewatin Air Ltd.

Kenmore Air Harbor Inc.

Kenn Borek Air Ltd.

KF Aerospace

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Korean Air

Labrador Airways Ltd.

LACSA

LOT-Polish Airlines

Lufthansa German Airlines

McMurray Aviation

Mesa Airlines

Midwest Airlines Inc.

Missinippi Airways

Montmagny Air Service Inc.

Morningstar Air Express Inc.

Nakina Outpost Camps & Air Service Ltd.

Northern Air Charter (P.R.) Inc.

Northern Thunderbird Air Inc.

Northway Aviation Ltd.

Northwestern Air Lease

Northwright Air

Omni Air Express

Orca Airways Ltd.

Pacific Coastal Airlines Limited

Pakistan International

Pascan Aviation Inc.

Perimeter Aviation Ltd.

Philippine Airlines Inc.

Pinnacle Airlines

Porter Airlines Inc.

Provincial Airlines

PSA Airlines

Qatar Airways

Royal Air Maroc

Royal Jordanian

Salt Spring Island Air Ltd.

SATA Internacional

Saudia

SC Aviation

Shuttle America Corp.

Sichuan Airlines Co. Ltd.

Sky Regional Airlines Inc.

Sky West Airlines

Skylink Express Inc.

Skyservice Business Aviation Inc.

Solairus Aviation

Sunwest Aviation Ltd.

Sunwing Airlines Inc.

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.

Thunder Airlines Limited

Tofino Airlines Ltd.

Transaero Airlines

Transwest Air

Turkish Airlines

United Airlines

United Parcel Service

US Airways Inc.

Vancouver Island Air Ltd.

Wasaya Airways Limited Partnership

West Coast Air Ltd.

West Wind Aviation Limited Partnership

WestJet

WestJet Encore

Major Charter Services

ACASS Canada Ltd.

ACM Air Charter

ACM Aviation

Aero Jet Services

Aeromexico

Air Alsie

Air Canada

Air Foyle

Air Rutter International

Air St Pierre

Air Transat A.T. Inc.

Airborne Inc.

All Nippon Airways

American Air Services Inc.

American Airlines

Ameristar Air Cargo Inc.

Arkefly

Atlas Air Inc.

Aviation Consultants Inc.

Aviation Starlink Inc.

Avjet Corporation

Bradley Air Services Limited

Canadian North Inc.

CanJet Airlines

Cargolux Airlines International

Cathay Pacific Airways

Centaero Aviation Ltd.

Chantilly Air Inc.

Chartright Air Inc.

China Airlines

Cockrell Resources Inc.

Condor Flugdienst

Continental Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Enerjet

Executive Flight Services

Executive Fliteways Inc.

Fast Air Ltd.

Flair Airlines Ltd.

Flexjet

Flight Options

Flightexec

Florida Jet Service Inc.

Florida West International Airlines

GainJet Aviation

Global Aviation

Golden State Air Charter

Gulf & Caribbean Cargo Inc.

Independent Flight Leasing Inc.

JAL-Japan Airlines International Co Ltd.

Jazz Air Inc.

JEM Air Holdings

Jet Access Aviation

Jet Linx Aviation

Jet Solutions LLC

JETEX LLC

Jetport Inc.

Kalitta Air LLC

Kenn Borek Air Ltd.

Key Air

Korean Air

Landmark Aviation

London Air Services Limited

Longtail Aviation

Lufthansa German Airlines

Lynden Air Cargo LLC

Miami Air International

Mountain Air Cargo

Neptune Aviation Services Inc.

NetJets Europe

Nolinor Aviation

North Cariboo Flying Service Ltd.

Oak Air Ltd.

Omni Air Express

Paradigm Air Operators Inc.

Partner Jet Inc.

Porter Airlines Inc.

Priester Aviation

Prime Jet

Provincial Airlines

Rectrix Aviation

SATA Internacional

SC Aviation

Skycharter

Skyservice Business Aviation Inc.

Solairus Aviation

Starbase Aviation

Sun Air Jets

Sunwest Aviation Ltd.

Sunwing Airlines Inc.

TAG Aviation

Taughannock Aviation

Travel Management Company Ltd.

Tulsair

Tyrolean Jet Service

United Airlines

USA Jet Airlines Inc.

VIH Execujet Ltd.

VistaJet (Austria)

VistaJet (Malta)

Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC

Western Air Charter Inc.

WestJet

WestJet Encore

XOJET

Y2K Aviation LLC

Factors which may have influenced the data

2016

On March 15^th, 2016, WestJet (Encore) began 3 times a day service between Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario and Boston, Massachusetts.

On March 27^th, 2016, Mt. Pavlof, a volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, erupted with little advance notice spewing an ash cloud up to 20,000 feet (6,100 m) high and prompting aviation warnings. Flights were affected in the territories, and as far away as Regina, Saskatchewan.

On April 3^rd, 2016, Air Canada ceased its operations between Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport and JFK International airport in New York, New York.

On April 7^th, 2016, Brussels Airlines began 5 / week service between Brussels, Belgium and Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The route was initially scheduled to begin service on March 29^th, 2016, but was delayed due to the terrorist attacks at Brussels Airport, Belgium on March 22nd, 2016.

WestJet (Encore) began daily service on April 15^th, 2016, between Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia and Boston.

On May 5^th, 2016, the Fort McMurray Airport Authority suspended commercial air traffic as a result of forest fires in the surrounding area. The airport, however, continued to operate as a key transportation infrastructure for emergency operations and the transportation of food and supplies for first responders and evacuees.

On May 7^th, 2016, Air Canada commenced service from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International to Jacksonville, Florida. The flights will operate two times a week.

On May 9^th, 2016, Air Canada commenced service between Vancouver International, British Columbia and San Jose, California. The flights will operate twice-daily.

On June 2^nd, 2016, Air Canada’s inaugural flight AC35, 787 Dreamliner service from Vancouver International arrived in Brisbane, Australia. These new flights between the two cities will begin daily service on June 17^th, 2016.

On June 3^rd, 2016, Condor Airlines began weekly service from Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia to Munich, Germany.

Fort McMurray International Airport, Alberta resumed commercial air service on June 10^th, 2016. The airport authority had suspended all commercial air traffic, May 5^th, 2016, as the result of forest fires in the surrounding area.

Effective June 16^th, 2016, WestJet began service between Vancouver International Airport and San Diego, California. The flights will be offered three times a week.

On June 16^th, 2016, Air Canada launched the only year round non-stop service between Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Quebec and Lyon-Saint Exupéry, France. The flights will operate five times a week during the summer and four times a week during the winter.

On June 29^th, 2016, WestJet began service between Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport and Los Angeles, California. The service will operate three times each week. WestJet will be offering this route for the 3^rd time which was last operated in 2008.

On July 25^th, 2016, NewLeaf, a new Canadian low-cost air travel company, inaugurated its first flight from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, Ontario to Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International, Manitoba. The company is contracting flights through Kelowna-based Flair Air.

On October 20^th, 2016, Air Canada inaugurated the only non-stop service from Vancouver International Airport to Delhi, India. The airline will operate flights three times a week.

On November 18^th, 2016, Hawkair Aviation Services filed for bankruptcy, suspending all operations.

2015

January 2015 was marked by extreme cold, heavy snow and freezing rain conditions across Canada forcing delays and flight cancellations at many airports.

Significant winter storms struck Atlantic Canada in February 2015 forcing numerous flight cancellations and delays. During the same time, eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec recorded colder-than-normal temperatures.

Major snowstorms struck Atlantic Canada in mid-March 2015, forcing flight delays and cancellations.

In May, Air Canada expanded its international services at Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia by offering flights to Osaka, Japan. Air Canada rouge also launched a new international service from Montréal, Quebec to Venice, Italy.

Also in May, WestJet began seasonal service from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Glasgow, Scotland.

In June, Air Canada further expanded its global network with routes from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International, Ontario to Amsterdam, Netherlands and from Montréal to Mexico City, Mexico. Also, Air Canada Rouge began a new non-stop daily seasonal service from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Abbotsford, British Columbia.

In July, WestJet Encore launched new daily non-stop flights from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Deer Lake and Gander, both in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to Sydney, Nova Scotia. The airline also launched a new daily non-stop service between Moncton, New Brunswick, and Ottawa, Ontario.

In November, Air Canada launched non-stop services from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Delhi, India and to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

In December, Aeromexico launched a daily non-stop service between Vancouver and Mexico City, Mexico.

In late December, a major snowstorm hit central and eastern Canada causing delays and cancellations in southern Ontario and western Quebec, including Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal airports.