YVR Airport now averaging 30,000 passengers daily with travel restrictions relaxed

Vancouver International Airport, June 2021. (Vancouver Airport Authority)

In recent days, passenger volumes at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) rebounded to about 50% of normal levels, marking the highest level of traffic recorded since the pandemic began.

Airport officials told Daily Hive Urbanized they are now averaging at about 30,0000 passengers per day, and this is holding steady even as the border opens to international leisure travellers.

During a normal day in 2019, the airport regularly saw about 60,000 passengers daily.

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YVR experienced traffic growth all summer long, with the first major milestone being the reopening of the US-Canada border on August 8 to fully-vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents currently in the US for leisure travel. In early August, YVR was projecting an average of about 23,000 passengers per day.

This was followed up by the wider opening of the border this past Monday to fully-vaccinated leisure international travellers beyond the US.

It’s a double-double! We’re glad to welcome back our old friend @British_Airways, resuming daily flights between LHR and YVR on their #777’s! Keep an eye out if you’re around the airport because we have TWO BA flights arriving tonight. 👏 pic.twitter.com/euG9m4eRLD

— YVR (@yvrairport) September 8, 2021

Travellers are advised to arrive early at the airport to go through both health screening and security protocols, and ensure they meet the travel requirements for their destination.

“This is another positive step in the government’s risk-based and measured approach to reopening travel and tourism for Canada. At YVR, we are ready to welcome back passengers and are working with our many partners to not only implement these measures but also to keep our community informed about what the journey will look like when everyone can get back to travel,” reads a statement from the Vancouver Airport Authority to Daily Hive Urbanized.

“With these travel measures easing, we are expecting longer wait times as a result of increased passenger volumes. We are committed to keeping passengers informed should there be changes to the travel experience.”

YVR has rehired frontline staff and reopened more areas, services, and amenities in the terminal building to accommodate the surge in passengers.

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