Calgary airport scores 81 per cent recovery in 2022

Calgary International Airport (YYC) hosted 14.5 million passengers in 2022, recouping 81 per cent of its pre-pandemic traffic, according to the Calgary Airport Authority (CAA).

“YYC is back to connecting people and cargo to places. We are thrilled by last year’s numbers for both our airports and expect to see close to 3 million more guests in 2023 at YYC,” said Rob Palmer, VP commercial, strategy and CFO. “We look forward for our industry to regain stability in the next few years.”

The CAA says in a statement that YYC is a major economic contributor to our province, as it handles 37 per cent of connecting flights in the country.

The authority adds YYC is also “one of the largest contributors to the regional GDP each year at an estimated $8 billion.”

Meanwhile, cargo plays an important role in generating revenue, as cargo freight levels are higher than those in 2019.

“In 2022, 5,362 aircraft filled with cargo landed at YYC Calgary International Airport. YYC can handle more cargo now and will capitalize on that opportunity through investments such as the west runway rehabilitation and sustainability improvements,” the statement reads.

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YYC authority says it’s looking for extra funding from the provincial and federal governments to tackle the hike in operating costs since 2022.

The good news is complete recovery to pre-pandemic levels is in the forecast for this year, as the airport is expecting 17 to 18 million passengers.

This comes after the Calgary-based airline, WestJet, has made the airport its only international base, which will increase passengers by 25 per cent.

WestJet’s international flights out of Calgary for this summer include Tokyo, Barcelona, and Edinburgh. according to the CCA, more destinations are yet to be announced by the airline.

The CAA adds airlines are planning on scaling their flights to pre-pandemic levels.

Airline carriers include Porter, Canadian North, Flair Airlines, Lynx Air, and Eurowings Discover.

For more information, visit YYC’s website.