Vancouver (YVR) Airport & Passenger Statistics 2024

Page Last Updated: 29 September 2025

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Canada’s second-busiest airport and an important trans-Pacific hub. It handles over 26 million passengers annually and connects North America with Asia, Europe and domestic destinations across Canada.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Vancouver International Airport each year?

Vancouver International Airport processes approximately 25 million passengers annually, and reached 26 million passengers in 2024 (as well as previously 2018 and 2019)..

YVR handled 26.21 million passengers in 2024, a 5.1% increase YoY and reached 99.3% of its 2019 pre-pandemic peak.
The airport reached a historic high of 26.38 million passengers in 2019 before experiencing a 72.3% decline YoY to 7.3 million in 2020 caused by the pandemic.
Traffic declined further to 7.09 million in 2021.
Recovery began in 2022 with 19.01 million passengers (a 168.3% increase YoY), followed by 24.94 million in 2023 (a 31.2% increase YoY).

Origin of Passengers

Domestic passengers totaled 12.86 million in 2024 (49.2% of total traffic).
Transborder (U.S.) passengers reached 6.63 million in 2024 (25.2% of traffic).
Other international passengers numbered 6.72 million in 2024 (25.6%).

Aircraft Operations at Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport is still recovering in terms of aircraft operations and in recent years the airport is managing over 280,000 operations annually.

In 2024, YVR recorded 289,395 total aircraft movements (+1.8%YoY).
Aircraft operations stood at 331,441 in 2019, then fell sharply to 157,563 in 2020 and 168,323 in 2021.

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Vancouver International Airport?

Air Canada holds around 50% of YVR’s total capacity and is the dominant carrier and primary hub operator
WestJet serves as the secondary hub airline, though with a much smaller market share
YVR hosts airlines from a wide range of global regions, including 14 from Asia and three from Oceania
Major international carriers at YVR include Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa and British Airways

Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic

Vancouver Airport (YVR) experiences seasonality; summer months drive peak volumes.

July and August 2024 were the busiest months, at 2.54 million and 2.61 million passengers respectively; June followed (2.32 million).
February and November were the least busy months, serving 1.92 million and 1.95 million passengers.

How many routes does Vancouver International Airport serve?

As of 2024, YVR offers non-stop service to 120 destinations, served by 51 airlines.
This reflects a slight change from 2023, which featured 53 airlines and 116 destinations.
The network spans Canada, the U.S., Asia, Europe, Oceania and Latin America.
Domestic coverage includes 24 destinations within British Columbia.
YVR added 13 new routes in 2023 and 10 more in 2024, including direct services to Singapore and Dubai.

Which destinations are the most popular from Vancouver International Airport?

Top Domestic Destinations

Toronto (YYZ) leads as the busiest domestic route from YVR, with 209 summer flights and 136 winter flights per week on average in 2024/25.
Calgary (YYC) and Edmonton (YEG) are also popular, with 207 and 126 flights per week during peak summer, respectively.
Montreal (YUL) averaged 54 weekly summer flights in 2024.

Top U.S. Destinations

Seattle (SEA) was the leading U.S. destination by number of flights in 2024/25, with 126 summer flights per week on average.
San Francisco and Los Angeles followed with 84 and 77 flights per week during peak summer.

Top International Destinations

Hong Kong (HKG) stands as the premier overseas international destination, with 26 flights per week in 2024/25
London-Heathrow (LHR) and Frankfurt (FRA) followed, each serving 21 summer flights per week.

Vancouver Travel Resources

How much cargo does Vancouver International Airport handle annually?

Vancouver International Airport reached record cargo volume in 2024, processing 339,276 tonnes of cargo, a 7% increase YoY (316,485 tonnes in 2023).

This surpassed the previous record of 338,180 tonnes set in 2018.
Due to the pandemic, cargo volume fell to 241,895 tonnes in 2020.

How much revenue does Vancouver International Airport generate each year?

YVR generates over $600 million in annual revenue.

In 2024, the airport set a new record with $666.3 million, up 4.4% YoY and 20.1% above 2019 levels.
Revenue in 2019 reached $571.8 million, but fell to $279.8 million in 2020 due to pandemic disruptions.

Notable Incidents at Vancouver International Airport

October 14, 2007: Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski died after being tasered by RCMP at the airport, an action later ruled unjustified by the Braidwood Inquiry
October 19, 2007: A Piper Seneca en route to Pitt Meadows crashed into a Richmond apartment building, killing the pilot and injuring two residents
September 18, 2008: An Air Canada A340 collided with an Air Canada Jazz Dash 8 on the runway, damaging both aircraft but causing no injuries
July 9, 2009: A Piper Navajo from Victoria crashed in a Richmond industrial area, killing both pilots; the flight was transporting blood units for Canadian Blood Services
October 27, 2011: A Northern Thunderbird Air King Air 100 crashed near Dinsmore Bridge, killing both pilots and injuring passengers and bystanders
May 9, 2021: A 28-year-old man was fatally shot outside the international terminal in a targeted gang-related attack
November 19, 2024: An Amazon Air Boeing 767-300F operated by Cargojet overran the runway and sustained substantial damage; no injuries were reported

Vancouver Airport Fast Facts

Total Airport Area: 1,340 hectares
The Airport has 2 terminals (Main Terminal and South Terminal)
The Airport has 3 runways
- Runway 08L/26R: 9,941 ft
- Runway 08R/26L: 12,188 ft
- Runway 13/31: 7,300 ft
The Airport has 2 helipads
- A: 110 ft
- B: 108 ft

Other Airport Statistics

Canada Travel Statistics Resources

References

YVR: Vancouver Airport Operational Data
ASN: Notable Incidents at Calgary Airport