Martin Placek
Research expert covering transportation and electronics
Air transportation in Canada - statistics & facts
Air transportation in Canada comprises of local, regional, national and international airlines which transport passengers and cargo to destinations both domestically and around the world. In 2020, there were 559 air carriers with licenses in Canada. The Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) regulates and oversees the safety of the country’s air transportation system.
Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Canadian aviation industry
With a 71 percent decrease in traffic and 68 percent loss in operating revenue, the coronavirus pandemic greatly impacted the Canadian aviation industry. The total number of passengers boarded by Canadian airlines dropped by 71 percent and reached only 24.7 millions in 2020. In that same year, Canadian airlines flew 64 percent less hours. Loaded and unloaded air cargo volume stood at 1.36 million metric tons in 2019.Leading airlines in Canada
In 2020, many of the domestic airlines in Canada like Air Canada, were on the brink of collapse after the coronavirus pandemic hit. In that year, Air Canada, which had a 44 percent market share of the domestic sector, generated only 4.3 billion Canadian dollars in operating revenue from passenger flights. Passenger traffic dropped by more than 73 percent, which urged Air Canada to reduce its capacity by over 66 percent.Leading airports in Canada
With less air passenger travel, the coronavirus pandemic has hit airports too. Toronto Pearson International Airport was still the busiest airport in Canada but carried only 13.3 million passengers in 2020. Other leading Canadian airports like Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton International Airports were affected too. Vancouver's domestic passenger traffic was reduced from 12.7 million passengers in 2019 to only 4.2 million passengers in 2020.
