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  1. The all-fare index (2002=100) for domestic and international (including Canada-United States) scheduled services operated by Canadian Level I air carriers dropped 8.8% to 86.7 in 2009, reaching its lowest level since 1999. The air fare index for all fares for domestic scheduled services was 82.3, down 11.6% from the 2008 level of 93.1, while the all-fare index for international scheduled services posted a decrease of 6.2% from 2008 to 90.5.
  2. In 2009, the average domestic and international one-way air fare (all types) paid by passengers was $231.20, down 9.7% from $256.10 in 2008, reversing the upward trend recorded the previous year. The average domestic air fare (all types) paid by passengers was $173.00 in 2009, down 11.9% from $196.30 in 2008. The average international air fare (all types) also declined (-8.1%) from $355.00 in 2008 to $326.30 in 2009. The impacts from the recession, the slowdown in passenger traffic and increased competition amongst carriers explained the decrease in air fares in 2009.
  3. In 2009, 96.6% of passengers on domestic and international scheduled services flew on discount fares, down 0.3 percentage points from 96.9% in 2008. On domestic scheduled services, 95.7% of passengers travelled on discount fares in 2009, down 0.3 percentage points from 96.0% in 2008. On international scheduled services, 98.1% of passengers flew on discount fares in 2009, down 0.4 percentage points from 98.5% in 2008.
  4. When the distribution was expressed in terms of passenger-kilometres, the proportion of domestic discount travel was 95.5%, down 0.2 percentage points from 95.7% in 2008 and the proportion of international discount travel was 98.5%, down 0.3 percentage points from 98.8% in 2008.
  5. In 2009, average domestic air fares declined across all of the selected Canadian cities of enplanement compared to 2008. Toronto remained the city with the highest average domestic air fare ($194.40), while Edmonton posted the lowest average domestic air fare ($154.20) in 2009. During this period, decreases ranged from -8.0% in Ottawa to -15.6% in Calgary. Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal were the only cities that had average domestic air fares above the national average ($173.00).