Aircraft movement and civil aviation statistics, November 2025
Released: 2026-01-29
Highlights
Major Canadian airlines flew 6.5 million passengers on scheduled and charter services in November, down slightly (-0.3%) from November 2024.
Aircraft movements at Canada's major and select small airports totalled 421,221 in November 2025, up 1.2% from the same month the previous year. Itinerant movements increased 3.0% year over year, while local movements declined 2.5%.
Consult the Aviation Data Visualization Hub to explore aircraft movement statistics and monthly civil aviation statistics in an interactive format.
Major airlines' operating and financial statistics
Canadian Level I air carriers flew 6.5 million passengers on scheduled and charter services in November, 0.3% fewer than in November 2024.
The number of passenger-kilometres rose 3.9% year over year to 17.5 billion in November 2025, while capacity increased 5.5% to 21.6 billion available seat-kilometres. The passenger load factor (the ratio of passenger-kilometres to available seat-kilometres) was 81.1% in November, down from 82.3% observed in November 2024.
Chart 1
Passenger load factor, Canadian air carriers, Level I
Each passenger travelled an average of 2,703 kilometres in November 2025, up 4.2% from the same month a year earlier.
Level I carriers flew 174,000 hours (+4.2%) in November and generated $2.3 billion (+5.2%) in total operating revenue.
Domestic itinerant movements continue upward trend
At Canada's major and select small airports, domestic itinerant movements grew 4.0% year over year to 239,868 in November 2025. The airports with the largest increases were Moncton/Greater Moncton International (+2,248 movements), Moosonee (+1,673) and London (+1,067).
Chart 2
Total aircraft movements at major and select small airports, by class of operation
Transborder movements (to and from the United States) continued to decline in November, down 6.6% from November 2024 to 30,972. Meanwhile, other international traffic (outside the United States) rose 7.9% year over year to 16,911 movements.
Local aircraft movements declined 2.5% in November 2025 compared with the same month in 2024. Decreases were recorded in four provinces and territories, with the largest decline in Quebec (-27.7%; -6,978 movements).
Focus on Canada and the United States
Transborder aircraft movements (to and from the United States) represented 10.8% of total itinerant movements at Canada's major and select small airports in November 2025, down from 11.9% in November 2024.
In November 2025, year-over-year declines in movements to and from the United States were recorded at all four of the largest Canadian airports: Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International (-9.2%), Montréal/Pierre Elliot Trudeau International (-5.8%), Vancouver International (-4.6%) and Calgary International (-3.4%).
Meanwhile, the number of passengers carried by Canadian Level I air carriers on scheduled transborder flights in November 2025 was 16.7% below the level recorded in the same month one year earlier. This was the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year declines. Capacity of these flights, measured in available seat-kilometres, declined year over year for the eighth consecutive month in November, down 14.9% from November 2024. The passenger load factor on scheduled transborder flights decreased from 80.8% in November 2024 to 76.4% in November 2025.
For more data and insights on areas touched by the socioeconomic relationship between Canada and the United States, see the Focus on Canada and the United States webpage.
Note to readers
This consolidated monthly release covers the following statistical programs:
- Aircraft movement statistics (survey number 2715, tables 23-10-0296-01 to 23-10-0304-01)
- Monthly civil aviation statistics (survey number 5026, table 23-10-0079-01).
Consult the Aviation Data Visualization Hub to explore data from Aircraft movement statistics and Monthly civil aviation statistics in an interactive format.
The aviation statistics program uses respondent (Monthly civil aviation statistics) and administrative (Aircraft movement statistics) data.
An aircraft movement is defined as a take-off, landing or simulated approach by an aircraft, as defined by NAV CANADA.
An itinerant movement is the initial take-off or the final landing of an aircraft.
A domestic itinerant movement is defined as a movement, at a Canadian airport, of an aircraft departing to or arriving from a point in Canada.
A local movement is an aircraft conducting the following airport activities: touch-and-go, stop-and-go, simulated approach without landing, low approach, pull up while on final approach or missed approach. Local movements are often carried out during training flights (touch-and-go), equipment tests, etc.
On June 2, 2025, Stephenville Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador was closed. Since June 2025, movements for Stephenville Airport are excluded from Aircraft movement statistics. Data prior to June 2025 will continue to be available.
The Monthly Civil Aviation Survey covers all Canadian Level I air carriers: Air Canada (including Air Canada Rouge), Air Transat, Flair, Jazz, Porter and WestJet (including WestJet Encore). As of June 2025, Sunwing Airlines was fully integrated into WestJet.
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.
The data in this monthly release are not seasonally adjusted.
Data are subject to revisions.
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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