Canada Airport Statistics 2026 | Passengers, Capacity & Key Facts

Airports in Canada 2026

Canada’s aviation network is one of the most expansive on earth, stretching across a country that spans six time zones and covers roughly 18 million square kilometres. With approximately 1,900 certified and registered airports embedded within a broader infrastructure of around 6,000 aerodromes, Canadian airports are far more than departure gates — they are the connective tissue of a nation where vast geography makes air travel not just convenient but essential. As of 2026, the sector continues its steady post-pandemic recovery, with total passenger volumes approaching pre-COVID highs and cargo operations recording consecutive years of growth driven by surging e-commerce demand and expanded carrier routes.

The numbers behind Canada airport statistics 2026 tell a story of resilience, shifting travel patterns, and growing economic weight. In 2024 — the most recently completed annual reference year — 156.7 million passengers were enplaned and deplaned at Canadian airports, up 4.0% from the year before and reaching 96.2% of the 2019 pre-pandemic benchmark. Monthly data from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) through early 2026 reveal a striking split: domestic and international routes are thriving, while transborder travel to the United States has entered a sustained decline tied to geopolitical tensions. Understanding these trends matters not only for the aviation industry but for every Canadian business, community, and traveller connected to the sky.

Key Facts: Canada Airport Statistics 2026

Sources: Statistics Canada Airport Activity Report, 2025; Transport Canada Annual Report 2024; Canadian Airports Council Economic Impact Study, June 2025; Statistics Canada CATSA Screened Passenger Data, 2026

Canada’s aviation sector carries more than passengers — it carries the country’s economic ambitions. The 26 National Airports System airports alone handle roughly 90% of all scheduled passengers and cargo across the country, making them the backbone of both domestic connectivity and international trade. The $123.5 billion in total economic output generated by just 61 airports in 2024 underscores how deeply aviation is woven into Canada’s commercial fabric, from tourism and retail concessions to logistics and export facilitation.

What makes these facts especially striking is the speed of the post-pandemic recovery. When COVID-19 brought Canadian aviation to its knees in 2020 — passenger volumes cratered to just 46.3 million — few predicted a return to near-record levels within four years. Yet by 2024, Canada’s airports had almost fully rebuilt their traffic base. Monthly CATSA data through early 2026 confirms that domestic flying remains robust, international routes are growing, and the transborder dip is largely a policy-driven anomaly rather than a structural weakness in demand.

Total Passenger Traffic at Canada’s Airports in 2024

Total Enplaned & Deplaned Passengers at Canadian Airports (millions)
2019 |████████████████████████████████████   | 162.2M
2020 |████████                               |  46.3M
2021 |████████                               |  46.3M
2022 |█████████████████████                  | 118.9M
2023 |██████████████████████████████████     | 150.7M
2024 |███████████████████████████████████    | 156.7M
     |----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----|
     0   20   40   60   80  100  120  140  160

Source: Statistics Canada, Airport Activity: Air Carrier Traffic at Canadian Airports, 2024, released July 29, 2025

The recovery trajectory of Canadian airport passenger statistics from 2020 to 2024 is one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country’s transportation history. The 156.7 million passengers handled in 2024 represents the strongest annual figure since the pandemic began, sitting just 3.8% below the all-time high recorded in 2019. The pace of recovery accelerated sharply from 2022 onward as international borders reopened, airlines rebuilt their fleets and routes, and pent-up demand from Canadians who had deferred travel for two years flooded back into the system.

Critically, the +4.0% growth rate in 2024 represents a deliberate slowdown from the explosive double-digit rebounds seen in 2022 and 2023. The airline industry faced a combination of real-world headwinds — pilot shortages, aircraft delivery delays from manufacturers, inflationary pressure on operating costs, wildfires disrupting regional routes, and ongoing geopolitical instability — that collectively capped how fast the system could scale up. Despite those constraints, the overall message from 2024 data is clear: Canadian airports are back.

Busiest Airports in Canada 2024 — Top Four by Passenger Volume

Passenger Growth at Canada's Top 4 Airports (2024 vs 2023)
Toronto Pearson   |████████████████████████    | +4.3%
Montreal Trudeau  |████████████████████████████| +5.7%
Vancouver Intl    |██████████████████████      | +3.8%
Calgary Intl      |█████████████               | +2.5%
                  |----+----+----+----+----+---|
                  0%   1%   2%   3%   4%   5%   6%

Source: Statistics Canada, The Daily — Airport activity approaches pre-pandemic cruising altitude in 2024, July 29, 2025; Statistics Canada CATSA Screened Passenger Data, December 2024

Toronto Pearson International Airport remains the undisputed busiest airport in Canada, handling 46.8 million passengers in 2024 according to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority — a figure that places it firmly in the top tier of North American aviation hubs. Among the four biggest airports, Montréal-Trudeau posted the strongest growth at +5.7%, driven by a surge in international routes, while Calgary led all airports in post-pandemic recovery, already sitting 11.8% above its 2019 pre-COVID baseline. Vancouver and Toronto, both gateways for high volumes of transborder US traffic, are slightly more exposed to the ongoing decline in Canada-US air travel.

What stands out in the 2024 data is that the pace of growth slowed considerably compared to 2023, when every major airport was posting double-digit increases. This deceleration is not alarming — it is the natural maturation of a recovery that was always going to normalize once the initial wave of pent-up demand worked through the system. Calgary’s remarkable +11.8% standing above 2019 levels is a testament to the region’s petroleum and tourism economy, as well as expanded nonstop services to European and Asian destinations through Calgary International.

Passenger Traffic by Segment in Canada 2024

Canada Airport Passengers by Segment (2024, millions)
Domestic       |████████████████████████████████████| 85.9M
Transborder US |█████████████                       | 31.8M
International  |████████████████                    | 39.0M
               |-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------|
               0    10    20    30    40    50    60  70    80    90

Source: Statistics Canada, Airport Activity: Air Carrier Traffic at Canadian Airports, Table 1 — Passenger and Cargo Data, July 29, 2025

The segment breakdown of Canadian airport passenger statistics 2024 reveals a clear hierarchy of growth drivers. Transborder flights to and from the United States surged +10.4% in 2024, reaching 31.8 million passengers and nearly returning to 2019 levels (still −1.2% below). New route launches and restored capacity by carriers on key corridors between Canadian cities and US hubs fuelled this recovery. International (non-US) traffic grew +8.1%, reaching 39.0 million passengers, as airlines aggressively expanded long-haul capacity to Europe, Asia, and Latin America, capitalising on strong outbound leisure demand and rising international student travel into Canada.

By stark contrast, domestic passenger volumes were essentially flat in 2024, rising just +0.1% to 85.9 million passengers. This reflects a domestic market that had already largely recovered by 2023, combined with capacity constraints as airlines prioritised more profitable international routes over domestic expansion. The domestic sector remains structurally healthy — sitting just above 2019 levels on a screened-passenger basis — but the real momentum in 2024 came from international expansion. These trends then reversed sharply in early 2025 and into 2026, as Canada-US political tensions began redirecting travellers.

2026 Monthly Screened Passenger Data at Canada’s 8 Largest Airports

Screened Passengers: Canada's 8 Largest Airports (2026)
Mar 2026 Total    |███████████████████████████████████| 4.7M
Apr 2026 Total    |█████████████████████████████████  | 4.5M
Mar 2026 Domestic |████████████████                   | 2.1M
Apr 2026 Domestic |████████████████                   | 2.1M
Mar 2026 Transbdr |█████████                          | 1.2M
Apr 2026 Transbdr |████████                           | 1.1M
Mar 2026 Intl     |███████████                        | 1.5M
Apr 2026 Intl     |███████████                        | 1.3M
                  |---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---|
                  0  0.5  1.0  1.5  2.0  2.5  3.0  3.5  4.0  4.5  5.0

Source: Statistics Canada, The Daily — Screened Passenger Traffic at Canadian Airports, March 2026 (May 1, 2026); April 2026 (May 29, 2026)

The most current Canada airport statistics for 2026 — drawn from CATSA’s monthly screened passenger data — reveal a market undergoing a structural realignment. Domestic flying is booming: March 2026 saw a +10.1% jump in domestic screened passengers year over year, and April followed with a +6.1% increase, as Canadians who may have previously flown US vacation routes redirected their travel dollars toward Canadian destinations. Every one of Canada’s eight largest airports posted year-over-year domestic gains in both months, with Halifax (+15.0%), Toronto Pearson (+14.1%), and Calgary (+11.3%) leading the pack in March.

The transborder story in 2026 is the defining aviation headline of the year. April 2026 marked the 15th consecutive month of year-over-year declines in Canada-US screened passenger volumes — a sustained and statistically unprecedented drop driven by geopolitical trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington. Transborder passengers in April 2026 represented only 24.2% of total screened passengers, down sharply from 28.1% in April 2024. This is not a seasonal fluctuation; it represents a genuine and ongoing behavioural shift, with Canadians choosing alternative international destinations and Americans visiting Canada in lower numbers.

Air Cargo Statistics at Canada’s Airports in 2024

Air Cargo by Segment (2024, thousands of tonnes)
Domestic       |██████████████████████████████████████| 802,000t
International  |█████████████████████████             | 534,000t
Transborder US |████████████                          | 243,000t
               |-------+-------+-------+-------+------|
               0     150     300     450     600     750

Source: Statistics Canada, Airport Activity: Air Carrier Traffic at Canadian Airports, Table 1 — Passenger and Cargo Data, July 29, 2025; Transport Canada Annual Report 2024

Canada’s air cargo sector handled 1.60 million tonnes of freight in 2024, growing 5.2% over 2023 and continuing a multi-year expansion phase that has outlasted the pandemic-era parcel surge. The two primary growth engines were domestic e-commerce logistics — which drove domestic cargo up +5.9% to 802,000 tonnes — and expanding international trade lanes, where non-US international cargo grew +8.1% to 534,000 tonnes as Canadian carriers added new freighter routes to Europe and Asia. The one soft spot was transborder cargo to and from the United States, which fell −3.5% to 243,000 tonnes, foreshadowing the broader Canada-US trade friction that would intensify through 2025 and into 2026.

The four busiest airports for air cargo in 2024 tell their own story: Toronto Pearson led all airports with 441,500 tonnes (+3.8% from 2023), followed by Vancouver International with 315,500 tonnes (+8.6%), Montréal Trudeau with 158,300 tonnes (a remarkable +20.1% surge), and Hamilton International with approximately 140,400 tonnes. Montréal’s cargo jump is particularly noteworthy — a +20% single-year increase reflects both new freighter services and the airport’s growing role as a logistics hub for the Quebec and northeastern North American market. For context, air cargo growth at Canadian airports outpaced air cargo growth at comparable peer nations, suggesting that Canadian carriers navigated 2024’s global supply chain recalibrations more effectively than many competitors.

Economic Impact of Canada’s Airports in 2024

Economic Impact: 61 Canadian Airports (2024, CAD billions)
Economic Output |████████████████████████████████████████████| $123.5B
GDP Contrib.    |████████████████████                        |  $49.6B
Annual Wages    |█████████████                               |  $32.9B
                |------+------+------+------+------+------+--|
                $0    $20B   $40B   $60B   $80B  $100B $120B

Source: Canadian Airports Council, Economic Impact of Canadian Airports in 2024, June 17, 2025 (based on Statistics Canada data and 30+ airport economic reports)

The scale of Canada’s aviation economy is often underestimated. When the Canadian Airports Council published its comprehensive economic impact study in June 2025, the headline figures were staggering: 61 airports generated $123.5 billion in total economic output in 2024, supported 435,800 full-time jobs, paid out $32.9 billion in wages, and contributed $49.6 billion to Canada’s GDP. These are not just aviation-sector numbers — they represent the multiplier effects of airports on hotels, restaurants, retail, logistics, and the broader regional economies that surround them. The $123.5 billion output figure represents a 56.3% increase over 2016 levels, demonstrating that even accounting for the pandemic dip, Canada’s airport economy has grown dramatically over the past decade.

To put these figures in perspective: the 435,800 jobs supported by Canadian airports exceed the total workforce of several Canadian provinces. And the $49.6 billion GDP contribution places the airport sector among Canada’s most significant industry clusters — comparable in scale to major manufacturing or natural resource segments. As the Canadian Airports Council noted in releasing the data, these numbers make clear that airports are not just transportation infrastructure — they are economic anchors for communities from Halifax to Vancouver, connecting local businesses to global markets and giving regions the connectivity they need to attract investment, talent, and tourism.

Canada Airport Network Infrastructure in 2025–2026

Canada's Airport Network Structure (2024)
Total Aerodromes      |████████████████████████████████████| ~6,000
Certified & Reg.      |████████                            | ~1,900
NAS Airports          |                                    |    26
Intl Airports         |                                    |    13
CATSA Screening Sites |                                    |    89
NAV CAN ATC Towers    |                                    |    42
                      |------+------+------+------+--------|
                      0    1000   2000   3000   4000   5000   6000

Source: Transport Canada, Transportation in Canada 2024 Briefing Document; Transport Canada Annual Report 2024; Wikipedia — List of International Airports in Canada (updated November 2025)

Canada’s airport network is structured in layers, each serving a distinct aviation function. At the top sit the 26 National Airports System (NAS) airports, which handle roughly 90% of all scheduled commercial passenger and cargo traffic despite representing fewer than 2% of the country’s total aerodromes. These airports — owned by Transport Canada and operated under long-term lease by not-for-profit airport authorities — are the gateways through which nearly every international flight into Canada must pass. Below them sit 71 regional and local airports, which serve mid-sized communities and connect smaller cities to the NAS hubs. Further down the hierarchy, roughly 1,300 remote and bush airports provide critical access to northern and rural communities where no road network exists — places where aviation is not a convenience but a lifeline.

The 343 certified water airports and 427 certified heliports round out a network designed for a country whose geography demands flexibility. Canada’s 13 formally designated international airports — including Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and nine others confirmed as of November 2025 — are the only facilities authorized to process international commercial arrivals under ICAO standards, requiring customs, immigration, and public health facilities on-site. The 89 airports designated for CATSA screening represent the broader commercial network, covering everything from major hubs to significant regional airports serving scheduled passenger traffic. NAV CANADA’s management of 42 ATC towers and 55 flight service stations ensures that this entire network operates safely under a unified civil air navigation system — one of the most complex and geographically stretched in the world.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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