July 31, 2026
Total flights in and out of Canadian airports were down 1.4% in May
Statistics Canada reports that aircraft movements at Canada's major and select small airports totalled 552,563 in May, down 1.4% from May 2025. Local movements declined 6.3% year over year in May 2026, while itinerant movements rose 1.1%.
Transborder aircraft movements (to and from the United States) edged down 0.3% year over year (-127 movements) in May 2026. When compared with May 2024, transborder movements were down 3.6% in May 2026.
Other international movements (outside the United States) increased 5.1% from the same month the previous year, reaching 16,564 movements. This was the 15th consecutive month of year-over-year increases, despite some airlines reducing capacity in response to elevated jet fuel prices in May 2026.
Domestic itinerant movements also increased in May 2026, rising 1.0% to 327,027. The largest growth was recorded at St. Theresa Point (+2,775 movements) and Island Lake (+2,178), both in Manitoba. This was in preparation for wildfire season as helicopters accounted for most of the activity at both airports. The largest decline was recorded at Oshawa, Ontario (-1,565 movements), where a flight school left the airport earlier in 2026.