YVR Airport broke a pretty heavy record in 2024 and came close to breaking a second one related to passengers.
In a news release from the Vancouver Airport Authority, Vancouver International Airport recorded the second-highest passenger count in its history in 2024, with 26.2 million passengers passing through the airport.
That’s a 5% increase over the previous year’s 24.9 million travellers, which YVR says is “a testament” to its “domestic and international connectivity, and continuous work with airlines and tourism and business organizations to strengthen its position as a global hub.”
YVR has only surpassed the 26 million milestone once before, when it welcomed 26.3 million passengers in 2019.
In a post on X, YVR added that it welcomed 289,000 flights.
2024 was a big year at YVR. Let’s break it down:
š„ Greeted 26.2M passengers, up 5% from last year
āļø Welcomed 289K flights
š¦ Transported 339k tonnes of cargo
š Donated over $2.2M to local community partnersLearn more about our year in review: https://t.co/UZInuYuAMc pic.twitter.com/MOeT6lgylP
ā YVR (@yvrairport) February 10, 2025
The heavy record that YVR did break was related to cargo. In 2024, YVR moved 339,000 tonnes of cargo. “This represents a 7% increase over 2023’s volume of 316,000 tonnes and surpassed YVR’s previous record of 338,000 tonnes back in 2018.”
YVR President and CEO Tamara Vrooman shared her gratitude to staff in response to these numbers.
“I want to thank the 26,000 employees across Sea Island and YVR who are dedicated to ensuring our airport operates safely while providing a positive experience for travellers here at home and from all over the world. I also want to thank our airline partners and federal government service agencies who work with us to connect BC proudly to the world every day.”
Compared to 2023, domestic travellers were up by 0.3%. Flights between YVR and US destinations were also up, marking a 9.7% increase compared to 2023.
“International flights witnessed a substantial 10.4% increase in travellers compared to 2023.”
YVR also provided some additional numbers related to its financial impact on Canada. The news release suggests that YVR contributed approximately $15 billion to Canada’s GDP.
“With our continued focus on increasing accessibility, investing in innovation and building towards a future as an intermodal transportation hub, we are further strengthening YVR’s position as critical supply chain infrastructure supporting local and global connectivity,” Vrooman added.
In December 2024, Daily Hive Urbanized reported that the holiday month marked the busiest Christmas season since the pandemic.
Vancouver also saw a definite bump in travellers thanks to one iconic pop star.
Taylor Swiftās Eras Tourās three-night final stop in Vancouver provided the city with a bump in tourism. According to YVR, it saw over 200,000 travellers over the three concert dates between December 6 and 8, representing an 8.1% increase compared to the same days in 2023.
With files from Kenneth Chan