We all know Canadians, at large, are cutting back on travel to the US. Yet a closer look at the numbers reveals a sharp provincial divide.
Eastern Canadians and British Columbians are leading the pullback, according to finalized April data from the US Department of Transportation. Alberta, meanwhile, is showing only the slightest of declines.
Flights to the US from Quebec plunged 26.9%, Ontario dropped 22.2%, and B.C. fell 20.5% year-over-year.
As for Alberta? The western province saw just a 2.6% dip, while Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia actually posted small increases, up 6% and 2%, although on very low bases.
Ontario recorded the largest decline in total travellers, with more than 117,000 fewer trips compared to April 2024. Quebec followed with nearly 53,000 fewer trips, and B.C. saw a drop of roughly 51,500.
DOT stats also show New York state has been the hardest hit, with Canadian air traffic down a staggering 48%. Traffic to Nevada fell 24.8%, California was down 15.6%, Florida slipped 8%, and Texas dropped 5.4%. Illinois saw a more modest decline of 2.9%.
Florida’s numbers varied by destination. Orlando held up relatively well, with traffic down just 1.9%. DOT figures for the first three months of the year, however, showed year-over-year traffic into Orlando had been closer to or above 10%. Traffic to Miami was down 6.5%.
Fort Lauderdale and Tampa saw wide swings by province. In April, traffic from Canada to Fort Lauderdale dropped 19.2% overall. Ontario was down 31.5%, Quebec 4.4%. On the flip side, Alberta rose 14%.
A similar pattern played out in Tampa, where Quebec was down 15.7% and Ontario 5.7%. But Alberta jumped 290%, albeit on a very small base (from 142 to 554 passengers).
Some of the reduced traffic could be linked to specific route cuts. Earlier this year, major Canadian airlines scaled back flights to several U.S. destinations, including Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas, for example.
