Aircraft movement statistics: Major airports, April 2020

Released: 2020-06-26

Highlights

After declining during the second half of March, air traffic reached unprecedented lows in April, with the total number of aircraft movements falling almost three-quarters (-73.5%) from April 2019.

Transborder and other international movements both decreased by almost 90% compared with the same month in 2019.

Calgary International, Alberta, was Canada's busiest airport for the first time since February 1971, reporting 5,668 take-offs and landings.

Full effect of the pandemic is felt in April

The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canada's airports was felt in April. Aircraft movements continued to plummet during the month in the wake of travel restrictions initiated in late March by governments across the globe. The simultaneous introduction of measures by provincial governments to control the spread of the virus, including closing non-essential businesses, further immobilized air operators. By the beginning of April, some Canadian airlines had suspended operations entirely, and others continued to reduce their operations significantly. Consequently, by the end of the month, air traffic in Canada plunged to levels not seen in more than 50 years.

Following the implementation of international travel restrictions in late March, Air Canada was the only Canadian carrier to maintain a limited number of scheduled flights to non-domestic destinations, with a focus on repatriation and the movement of essential goods. On April 27, the airline suspended scheduled service to the United States after the 30-day extension to cross-border travel restrictions announced by the Canadian government on April 18.

Retail e-commerce and the need for air cargo

With passenger demand essentially non-existent, the ongoing need to move cargo helped keep aircraft in the sky. Because scheduled passenger aircraft also carry cargo in their holds, the suspension of these flights created a void in the movement of goods. The International Air Transport Association stated that, in North America, air carriers reported that international year-over-year demand for air cargo fell 20.1% in April, but international capacity decreased more (-27.7%).

At the end of March, Air Canada began to operate cargo-only flights and, in early April, the airline announced the modification of multiple aircraft so cargo could be transported in passenger cabins. The airline steadily increased its scheduled cargo-only flights across the globe. WestJet continued to fly scheduled cargo operations domestically and offered increased cargo capacity across its fleet. By the end of April, it had operated its first two cargo-only charters from Ireland to the United States via Toronto. In addition to transporting essential goods, cargo operators have benefited from a rise in online shopping during the pandemic.

Retail trade figures reported by Statistics Canada for April showed that retail e-commerce surged 120.3% year over year. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, nearly 90% of business-to-consumer global e-commerce transactions involve some air delivery.

Aircraft movements down almost three-quarters compared with last year

Overall, aircraft take-offs and landings at the 90 Canadian airports with NAV CANADA air traffic control towers and flight service stations plunged 73.5% in April—down to 128,583 from 484,941 movements in April 2019.

Itinerant movements (flights from one airport to another) and local movements (flights that remain in the vicinity of the airport) declined 72.4% and 75.6%, respectively. Total itinerant movements fell to 89,354 movements, with the largest decreases occurring at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International, Ontario (-31,813 movements); Vancouver International, British Columbia (-20,634); and Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International, Quebec (-16,063). Local movements dropped to 39,229 movements, with the largest declines occurring at Boundary Bay, British Columbia (-7,854 movements); Calgary/Springbank, Alberta (-7,094); and Winnipeg/St. Andrews, Manitoba (-6,346).

A snapshot by sector

Domestic itinerant movements (within Canada) fell by 68.9% to 83,264 movements. Vancouver International saw the largest decrease (-13,370 movements), followed by Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International (-11,234) and Calgary International, Alberta (-9,608). Despite experiencing a large decline, Calgary International handled the most domestic traffic (5,201 movements), followed by Vancouver International (4,472) and Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International, Manitoba (3,406).

Chart 1 
Domestic aircraft movements at top 5 Canadian airports, April 2020

Transborder traffic (between Canada and the United States) fell 89.4%, from 40,413 movements in April 2019 to 4,300 movements in April 2020. The largest declines were reported at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International (-14,059 movements), Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (-5,389) and Vancouver International (-5,093).

These declines in transborder movements were partially tempered at several of Canada's main cargo hubs. Montréal/Mirabel International, Quebec, and Hamilton International, Ontario, decreased by a modest 2.4% and 40.7%, respectively—much smaller declines compared with Canada's other large airports. Conversely, Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ontario, felt the full effect of suspended passenger service, with transborder activity falling to virtually nil (-99.9%).

Chart 2 
Transborder aircraft movements at top 5 Canadian airports, April 2020

Other international traffic dropped 89.2% in April. Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International (-6,520 movements), Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (-2,839) and Vancouver International (-2,171) saw the largest declines, but also represented 86.0% of all other international movements.

Chart 3 
Other international aircraft movements at top 5 Canadian airports, April 2020

Canada's busiest airports

In April, 10 airports accounted for over one-third (34.6%) of total activity. For the first time since February 1971, Calgary International was Canada's busiest airport, recording 5,668 movements (-70.9%). This was followed by Vancouver International, which reported 5,644 movements (-78.5%), and Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International, with 5,541 movements (-85.2%). This was the first time since September 1998 that Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International was not the country's busiest airport.

Chart 4 
Total aircraft movements at major airports

Chart 5 
Total aircraft movements at top 10 Canadian airports, April 2020

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; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).