Domestic air travel climbs while U.S. decline continues: StatCan

Canada's domestic air travel remained strong in May 2026, while passenger traffic to the United States continued its prolonged decline, highlighting an ongoing shift in travel patterns between the two countries.

According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, 2.5 million passengers boarded domestic flights in May 2026, a 6.4 per cent increase compared with May 2025.

Seven of Canada's eight largest airports recorded year-over-year gains in domestic passenger volumes, with Edmonton International Airport standing as the only exception, posting a slight 0.3 per cent decline.

International travel outside the United States also rebounded in May. Screened passenger traffic to overseas destinations rose 2.6 per cent year over year to 1.3 million passengers, reversing the modest decline recorded in April, StatCan reports.

The increase came despite continued uncertainty surrounding international air travel caused by the conflict in Iran and persistently high jet fuel prices.

In contrast, travel between Canada and the United States continued to weaken.

Transborder passenger traffic fell 2.1 per cent from May 2025 to 1.1 million screened passengers, marking the 16th consecutive month of year-over-year declines.

Canada–U.S. travel continues to shift

The sustained decline in U.S.-bound travel reflects broader changes that began in early 2025, when trade tensions between Canada and the United States coincided with changing travel behaviour.

Compared with May 2024, before geopolitical tensions emerged, transborder passenger traffic in May 2026 was down 10.2 per cent.

As a result, travel to the United States now represents a smaller share of Canada's overall air passenger market.

In May 2026, transborder passengers accounted for 22.4 per cent of all screened travellers, down from 23.6% in May 2025 and 26.2% in May 2024.

More than 90 per cent of Canada's transborder passenger traffic passes through the country's four largest airports.

Among them, Montreal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport recorded a notable milestone, posting a 1.7 per cent year-over-year increase in U.S.-bound passenger traffic—the first annual gain after 16 consecutive months of declines.

However, traffic at Montreal remained 9.6 per cent below its May 2024 level, StatCan reports.

The other major gateways continued to see declines.

Toronto Pearson airport recorded a 1.2 per cent decrease in transborder passenger traffic compared with May 2025, while Vancouver airport saw a 2.3 per cent decline and Calgary International Airport experienced the largest drop among the four, falling 6.5 per cent.

The screening figures from StatCan include both Canadian and international travellers departing on flights from Canadian airports.

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