Highlights
In September, 5.0 million passengers were recorded passing through pre-board security screening at checkpoints operated at Canada's eight largest airports, a 3.7% increase over September 2024, and 7.5% higher than the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level from September 2019.
Domestic traffic up, transborder traffic waning
In September 2025, 2.5 million passengers were screened for domestic flights, a considerably higher number (+10.2%) than for the same month in 2024 and exceeding (+11.6%) the pre-pandemic total posted in September 2019. Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International drove the increase, posting the highest year-over-year change in domestic traffic (+15.2%) in September 2025.
Other international traffic (outside the United States) reached 1.4 million in September, up 6.9% over September 2024 and significantly higher (+13.2%) than the level posted in September 2019.
In contrast, the total of 1.2 million transborder passengers (to the United States) in September 2025 was 10.5% lower than the same month in 2024, marking the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year decreases. Moreover, September 2025 transborder passenger counts were 5.4% below September 2019.
Chart 1: Number of screened passengers at the eight largest airports in Canada, monthly, 2020 to 2025
Description - Chart 1
Data table: Number of screened passengers at the eight largest airports in Canada, monthly, 2020 to 2025
Source: Table 23-10-0312-01.
Consistent trends across large airports
Canada's eight largest airports posted year-over-year increases in screened passenger counts for both domestic and international travel (outside the United States) in September 2025. In contrast, transborder passenger traffic (to the United States) was down across the board, with all eight airports recording lower volumes year over year.
In September, seven of Canada's eight largest airports posted higher total volumes of passenger traffic year over year, with only Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International posting a decline (-2.7%). Moreover, seven of the eight airports exceeded their pre-pandemic screened passenger volumes, with only Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International reporting a decrease (-9.1% compared with September 2019).
Chart 2: Number of screened passengers at the eight largest airports in Canada by sector, September, 2019 to 2025
Description - Chart 2
Data table: Number of screened passengers at the eight largest airports in Canada, by sector, September, 2019 to 2025
Source: Table 23-10-0312-01.
Chart 3: Year-over-year percentage change in monthly screened passengers, by sector, 2025
Description - Chart 3
Data table: Year-over-year percentage change in monthly screened passengers, by sector, 2025
Source: Table 23-10-0312-01.
Focus on Canada and the United States
In September 2025, transborder (to the United States) screened passengers accounted for 23.4% of the total number of screened passengers, down from 27.1% in September 2024.
Transborder traffic is concentrated at the four largest Canadian airports, which represent more than 90% of all transborder traffic. In September 2025, all four airports recorded year-over-year decreases in screened passenger counts for flights to the United States: Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International (-9.7%), Vancouver International (-6.6%), Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (-13.7%) and Calgary International (-10.4%).
Note that screened passengers include both Canadian and non-Canadian residents.
For preliminary numbers of arrivals to Canada from the United States by air and automobile, see the Leading indicator of international arrivals to Canada, September 2025.
For more data and insights on areas touched by the socioeconomic relationship between Canada and the United States, see the Focus on Canada and the United States webpage.
Note to readers
Data for this release are derived from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Boarding Pass Security System and include screened traffic at pre-board security screening checkpoints at the eight largest airports in Canada.
The eight largest airports in Canada are Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International, Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International, Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International, Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International, Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International, Calgary International, Edmonton International and Vancouver International.
Screened passenger traffic includes air travellers required to go through pre-board security screening and excludes aircrew and airport employees. This data series represents a different measure of traffic than the counts of enplaned or deplaned passengers published in Statistics Canada's annual Airport activity report or produced by the individual airports. For example, the screened passenger data will not account for passengers with connecting flights who did not pass through security. For more information, please refer to the "Related information" tab (Definitions, data sources and methods) for this release.
Users interested in accessing daily counts of screened traffic at Canada's major airports can obtain them from the CATSA website.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).