Air fare

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2010 (Previous release)

The average cost of air fares paid by passengers increased in 2010, mainly as a result of year-over-year advances in the third and fourth quarter.

The average domestic and international one-way air fare (all types) paid by passengers was $243.50 in 2010, up 5.3% from $231.20 in 2009. This increase was largely attributable to the gradual upturn of the global airline industry following the economic downturn of 2009.

The average domestic air fare (all types) paid by passengers was $182.50 in 2010, up 5.5% from $173.00 in 2009. The average international air fare (all types) also increased (+1.7%) from $326.30 in 2009 to $331.80 in 2010. Despite the growth in air fares in 2010, domestic and international fares (all types) remained well below pre-downturn levels.

Average domestic air fares also rose across all of the selected Canadian cities of enplanement compared with 2009. Toronto remained the city with the highest average domestic air fare ($205.20), while Edmonton posted the lowest average domestic air fare ($160.80) in 2010. During this period, increases ranged from 0.7% in Halifax to 9.1% in Vancouver. Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montréal were the only cities that had average domestic air fares above the national average ($182.50).

Note: Average air fares are calculated for each flight stage. When the passenger boards the aircraft at one airport and departs the aircraft at another airport, this is considered a flight stage.

The survey covers Air Canada, Jazz, Air Canada's Canadian regional code-share partners, Air Transat and WestJet.

Available on CANSIM: tables 401-0003, 401-0004, 401-0041 and 401-0042.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2708.

Quarterly data tables are also available from the Key resource module of our website under Summary tables.

The air fare data are now available in the publication Aviation: Service Bulletin, Vol. 43, no. 2 (51-004-X, free), from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.

For more information, to order data tables, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-500-8400; fax: 613-951-0009; transportationstatistics@statcan.gc.ca), Transportation Division.