Over 10 million passengers in record-breaking summer at Vancouver airport | Daily Hive

Over 10 million passengers in record-breaking summer period at Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport and SkyTrain's YVR Airport Station. (Kenneth Chan)

Summer 2026 was Vancouver International Airport’s (YVR) busiest summer season on record, according to the full, finalized statistics for the season’s months — fuelled by the FIFA World Cup, strong cruise passenger volumes, strong general tourism, and new and expanded airline routes.

From June 12 to Sept. 8, 2026, which is the peak summer travel period defined by YVR, the airport saw 7.8 million passengers, representing a 5.5 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2025, which was the previous record peak summer travel period.

Moreover, across the broader full four-month summer period from June 1 to Sept. 30, 2026, YVR saw 10.48 million passengers, representing a 4.1 per cent increase from the previous record of 10.07 million during the same four months of 2025.

You might also like:

As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized, the seasonal milestone follows back-to-back, all-time monthly passenger records in July and August 2026, with YVR seeing 2.73 million and 2.82 million passengers, respectively. Both months surpassed the previous high set in August 2018.

August 2026’s all-time record passenger total for any month of the year represented a 6.3 per cent increase from August 2025, while July 2026’s tally was up by 2.6 per cent compared to the same month last year. As well, June 2026’s total also increased by 2.6 per cent compared to June 2025.

August is typically one of YVR’s busiest months, as travellers head out on summer vacations and make their way home, while students return ahead of the new school year.

In September 2026, YVR handled 1.26 million passengers on domestic flights, which is up by 4.1 per cent from the same month in 2025. Asia-Pacific routes recorded 407,000 passengers, representing an increase of 13.2 per cent, while European routes handled 203,000 passengers, which is up by 0.2 per cent.

The United States transborder market also posted a modest gain following a downward trend that first began more than a year ago due to U.S. economic and political tensions. In September 2026, YVR recorded 537,000 passengers on flights to and from American destinations, which is up by 2.6 per cent compared to the same month in 2025. In fact, September was the only month in 2026 to date that saw a year-over-year increase in U.S. route passenger volumes, and one of the very few year-over-year increases for a month since Donald Trump returned to office as the U.S. president.

Despite the broader downward trend, YVR’s passenger volumes on U.S. routes remain relatively strong compared with previous years. The airport handled 523,000 passengers on those routes in September 2025, 570,000 in September 2024, and 529,000 in September 2019.

Overall, international routes — including those serving the U.S. — accounted for 1.19 million passengers in September 2026, which is an increase of 5.3 per cent compared to the same month last year.

YVR attributed Summer 2026’s strong passenger volumes to several factors, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a record cruise ship season at Canada Place in Downtown Vancouver, and expanded services by airlines.

The airport noted that the FIFA World Cup prompted an earlier start to summer flight schedules. Approximately 2.98 million passengers travelled through YVR during the tournament period.

The Canada Place cruise ship terminal saw an all-time record of about 1.4 million cruise ship passengers during the 2026 cruise season, which began in February and ended in October.

Preliminary tourism data from Destination Vancouver shows the region saw 6.5 million visitors from January to July 2026, representing a 4.1 per cent increase from the same period in 2025.

New and expanded airline routes also contributed to this past summer’s growth, especially to Asia Pacific destinations.

YVR handled 21.37 million passengers in the first nine months of 2026. If the strong growth continues through the final three months of the year, the airport could surpass its annual record of 26.9 million passengers, which was set in 2025. The finalized statistics for the month of October 2026 will be made available early next month.

This past summer’s increase in activity extends beyond passenger travel. Cargo volumes were up by 13.7 per cent over the first nine months of 2026, compared with the same period in 2025, with Vancouver Airport Authority pointing to strong international activity, particularly involving Asia and Europe.

With more passengers and cargo moving through the airport, the airport authority highlights that it is using technology to improve the travel experience and make operations more reliable. It pointed to facial recognition during boarding as one example.

You might also like: