Annual civil aviation statistics: First look, 2021
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Released: 2022-06-08
For the second year, Statistics Canada is providing a first look at key variables from the annual civil aviation statistics program—this time for 2021. As collection is ongoing for the 2021 reference year, these estimates are preliminary and subject to revision.
Canadian air carriers transported 25.6 million passengers in 2021, down 8.9% from the 28.1 million carried in 2020. However, this represents a little over one-quarter (27.2%) of the number of passengers carried in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the speed of recovery in domestic traffic (18.1 million passengers, or 62.9% below 2019) appears to have been somewhat faster than that in international traffic (7.5 million passengers, or 83.4% below the pre-pandemic level).
These totals mask sub-annual differences between the two pandemic-impacted years. While the majority (roughly 70%) of passengers in 2020 were flown in the first three months, conversely, in 2021, more than 4 in 5 passengers were carried in the second half of the year.
Chart 1
Passengers carried, Canadian air carriers
Traffic was 52.1 billion passenger-kilometres in 2021, a decline of 16.8% from the 2020 level and a fraction (22.3%) of the 2019 level. On average, each passenger travelled 2,038 kilometres, a decrease of 8.7% compared with 2020. The number of total hours flown was 5.7% lower than in 2020, at 1.4 million hours.
Operating revenue earned by Level I to III air carriers in 2021 totalled $12.0 billion, 59.3% below that earned in 2019. Passenger revenue was at 30.4% of the 2019 level, with travel demand weakened by continuing travel restrictions attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic in most of 2021.
While expenses also declined during the pandemic, the drop was not as deep as for revenue, leading to operating losses for the last two years, 2020 and 2021. Operating expenses were at $15.1 billion in 2021, a level similar to that in 2020. Although total hours flown and fuel consumption were down from 2020, fuel costs were up 7.8% because of higher aviation fuel prices (see the Industrial Product Price Index). Finally, employment in the air transportation industry was down 6.8% from 2020, but wages and salaries were up 6.7%.
Chart 2
Operating revenue and expenses, Canadian air carriers
Note to readers
This first look at the 2021 civil aviation statistics covers Canadian Level I, II and III air carriers. Because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, no air carrier level changes were applied for reference year 2021.
Level I air carriers include every Canadian air carrier that, in the calendar year before the year in which information is provided, transported at least 2 million revenue passengers or at least 400 000 tonnes of cargo.
Level II air carriers include every Canadian air carrier that, in the calendar year before the year in which information is provided, transported (a) at least 100,000, but fewer than 2 million, revenue passengers, or (b) at least 50 000 tonnes, but less than 400 000 tonnes, of cargo.
Level III air carriers include every Canadian air carrier that (a) is not a Level I or II air carrier, and (b) in the calendar year before the year in which information is provided, realized gross revenues of at least $2 million for the provision of air services for which the air carrier held a licence.
The average passenger trip length is calculated by dividing the number of passenger-kilometres by the number of passengers. Trips across Canada and around the world are included in this calculation.
Because of rounding, some components may not add up to the total.
These preliminary 2021 civil aviation estimates are based on the 2021 monthly civil aviation statistics, quarterly civil aviation statistics and preliminary collected records from the annual civil aviation statistics.
Complete estimates for the 2021 annual civil aviation statistics will be published in early 2023.
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).
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