Analysis

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Aircraft take-offs and landings at the 93 Canadian airports with NAV CANADA air traffic control towers and flight service stations decreased 3.4% (-203,107 movements) in 2010 from 2009. These airports reported 5.7 million movements in 2010 compared with 5.9 million movements in 2009 and 6.2 million in 2008. In 2010 the spread of dense volcanic ash from Iceland in April and May as well as the severe winter storms in February and again in December resulted in the cancellation of numerous flights. Toronto/Lester B Pearson International, Ontario (419,044 movements) followed by Vancouver International, British Columbia (296,511 movements) were the most active sites in 2010.

There were 4.1 million itinerant movements (flights from one airport to another) reported in 2010. This represents a 2.5% decrease (-105,618 movements) compared with the previous year. The year-over-year variations ranged from an increase of 34.9% at Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ontario to a decline of 25.0% at Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Year-over-year increases in the number of itinerant aircraft movements were reported by 43 airports.

In 2010, there were 1.6 million local movements (flights that remain in the vicinity of the airport) recorded. This represents a decrease of 5.6% (-97,489 movements) compared with the previous year. Montréal/St-Hubert, Quebec (100,570 movements) followed by Toronto/Buttonville Municipal, Ontario (94,518 movements) reported the largest number of local movements in 2010.

Itinerant movements: domestic, transborder and international

The number of domestic itinerant movements at 93 Canadian airports decreased for the second consecutive year. There were 136,415 fewer domestic itinerant movements reported in 2010. Vancouver International, British Columbia (221,053 movements) followed by Calgary International, Alberta (184,200 movements) reported the greatest number of domestic itinerant movements.

Ninety-three airports reported 504,769 transborder itinerant movements (between Canada and the United States) in 2010, up 5.1% (+24,642 movements) from the previous year. Year-over-year increases were reported by 53 airports. Toronto/Lester B Pearson International, Ontario reported 183,067 movements. This represents 36.3% of the total transborder itinerant movements.

In 2010, seventy-two airports reported 136,792 other international itinerant movements, continuing the upward trend for the 4^th consecutive year with a 4.7% increase (+6,155 movements) from 2009. Toronto/Lester B Pearson International, Ontario (56,852 movements) followed by Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International, Quebec (26,155 movements) and Vancouver International, British Columbia (18,836 movements) reported the largest number of other international movements in 2010. The movements reported by these three airports represent 74.5% of the total other international itinerant movements.