Calgary International Airport is on track for another record-breaking year and brought together Air Canada executives and some of the city’s top travel advisors for a celebratory dinner at Vintage Chophouse & Tavern.
"Thanks to these strong partnerships, we are on track to break another record and surpass 19 million passengers in 2025, a milestone that reflects the dedication and teamwork across the industry," says Ignacio Ottati, Manager, Air Service Development, at YYC.
That would exceed last year’s record of 18.9 million passengers in 2024, representing 2.2% growth and about 400,000 additional travellers.
Ottati credits the back-to-back records to Alberta’s rapid population growth and YYC’s continued expansion into long-haul markets.
"We are the international airport for Saskatoon and Regina; our catchment area is 6 million people instead of just Calgary and its surrounding area, which would be around 4 million," he tells Open Jaw. "Additionally, we are the fastest-growing province in all of Canada, which has helped when it comes to our growth."
Since 2020, Alberta’s population has been growing 35% faster than the national average.
This growth has supported YYC’s push into long-haul markets. Since 2019, every new nonstop launched on a 787-9 Dreamliner has sparked strong “market stimulation,” with passenger volumes rising an average of 120% within a year.
In summer 2024, three-times-weekly service to Incheon, South Korea commenced from YYC. In its first year, the route generated roughly a 45% increase in passenger traffic as travellers shifted from connecting itineraries to the convenience of a direct flight.
The year prior, in summer 2023, three-times-weekly service to Narita, Japan was launched, which has seen particularly dramatic uptake. Passenger volumes have surged more than 300% year-over-year, reflecting strong demand for direct access to Tokyo and onward Asian connections.
That same summer, three-times-weekly service also began at Barcelona. Annual traffic jumped to more than 20,000 passengers—up from about 5,000 from Calgary Airport who previously reached the city via connections—a 144% increase.
