MUSQUEAM TERRITORY / RICHMOND, BC, Oct. 4, 2023 /CNW/ – Today, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) released passenger numbers for the summer season, confirming a busy travel period marked by a number of achievements and events.
YVR welcomed more than 7.1 million passengers from July through September, a 21.7 per cent increase over the same period last year and on par with 2019. August was YVR’s busiest month of the summer, with the B.C. Day weekend seeing the most passengers—328,422 passengers from Friday, August 4 to Monday, August 7.
The airport’s passenger increase is fueled by expanded services from its airline partners, including significant continued growth from Air Canada, adding key U.S. destinations such as Miami and Washington Dulles.
“We are in a time of growth at YVR and as an industry. I am proud of our team and the entire YVR community for delivering on our commitment to helping travellers navigate the airport more easily and elevating their experience, while never wavering from our values of safety, innovation, teamwork, and accountability,” said Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO at Vancouver Airport Authority. “We connected more passengers to more destinations over the summer. We also acted quickly to support our community when they needed it most – during one of our province’s most challenging wildfire seasons – and we continued to strengthen our work and partnership with Musqueam.”
The airport is pleased to share the following numbers and activities that underscore our shared achievements throughout the busy summer travel season.
From July through September, YVR saw a total of 59,796 arriving and departing flights with service provided by our 110 airline partners. The airport processed more than 2.5 million outbound bags and maintained an average on-time performance of approximately 70 per cent on departing flights.
The airport saw strong uptake of its new digital tools. YVR Express was used by 76,789 departing passengers, representing approximately 10 per cent of travellers flying during the service’s operating hours. YVR’s Passenger Journey Tool logged nearly 527,000 views.
In July, YVR raised and donated a total of $50,000 for wildfire relief efforts in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. YVR also facilitated medical and evacuation flights from B.C. and N.W.T.
In August, YVR and Musqueam opened the Musqueam Gathering Place and unveiled a hand-crafted 30-foot ocean-going canoe, created by Musqueam master carvers and YVR staff.
YVR also held two Musqueam Marketplace events in the terminal, featuring local Indigenous artisans and makers, and opened Purebread, a popular local bakery. Alongside a number of other regional offerings, including Salmon N’Bannock On The Fly, Dirty Apron and Pacific Farms Market, YVR continues to elevate the shopping and dining experience for passengers, employees, and the community.
Heading into the fall season, travellers are encouraged to plan ahead, arrive early, and leverage YVR’s digital tools to help streamline their travel journey. Visit YVR.ca/TravelPlanning for more tips and information for your next trip.
About YVR
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is a diverse global hub that connects people, cargo, data, and ideas and serves as a platform for our community to come together and thrive. We are motivated by supporting regional economic development and making a positive difference in the lives of British Columbians. We do this with a focus on serving our passengers, partners, workers, and community through digital modernization, climate leadership, reconciliation, and financial sustainability.
