Vancouver International Airport expecting record summer travel

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Vancouver International Airport is expected to see a record 7.8 million passengers in the three months of summer this year.

That is an almost 10 per cent increase over the summer of 2023 (July, August and September) and an all-time record, showing a full rebound from COVID-19.

According to its latest bulletin, the airport expects an average 85,196 passengers a day during those busy months and a total of 62,387 flights. This represents passengers arriving in Vancouver and departing from Vancouver.

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The busiest day of summer is projected to be Aug. 15 with 90,886 passengers, followed by Aug. 19 and Sept. 2 with 90,856 and 90,812 passengers expected.

The busiest domestic destination for outbound travellers in summer is Toronto, for U.S.-bound travellers it’s Los Angeles and for international travellers it is London (followed by Hong Kong, Tokyo and Frankfurt).

Around half the estimated 7,838,105 passengers this summer will be travelling domestically, while a quarter will be travelling to and from the U.S. and another quarter internationally.

The airport estimates its baggage handlers will process 6.2 million bags this summer.

The busy summer airport prediction comes as Canadians are paying significantly higher prices for domestic airline travel.

The Flight Centre Travel Group says domestic flight prices from July through September are 14 per cent higher on average than 12 months ago.

“We’re seeing definite increases in cost across the board (domestically),” said Chris Lynes, managing director of the Australia-based travel agency’s operation in Canada.

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“As the pent-up demand for leisure travel that followed the COVID-19 pandemic began to wane, slight price drops were anticipated. But plateauing seat capacity and less competition conspired to boost fares, a trend especially noticeable on short-haul flights.”

One-way flights from Calgary to Vancouver climbed 27 per cent to $580 on average, according to Flight Centre. Montreal-to-Toronto routes saw a 36-per-cent price increase to $781. Tickets for an Edmonton-to-Vancouver trip surged 82 per cent to $737.

However, passengers may find comfort in the fact that many flights to the United States and Europe are more affordable now than in recent years, as carriers at home and abroad ramp up overseas service.

With file from Canadian Press

dcarrigg@postmedia.com

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