Passenger volumes at Ottawa airport rebound to near pre-pandemic levels

The Ottawa International Airport Authority said it's seen a "near-full recovery" in both passenger volumes and revenue — a rebound that's come after years of financial struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At its annual public meeting Wednesday, the authority said passenger volumes grew to 4.6 million in 2024, a 13 per cent increase compared to 2023. That increased volume generated $162 million in revenue for the airport.

Prior to 2020, the airport saw nearly five million passengers annually. 

Susan Margles, the airport authority's president and CEO since January, attributes the rebound to a quadrupling in connecting traffic between 2023 and 2024.

"The first thing we're going to be focusing on is this shift to being more of a hub airport and how we want to make the passenger experience for those coming in from a different destination through Ottawa to another point at the end smoother and more enjoyable," she told CBC.

Margles said passenger volumes dropped to just over one million in 2020 and 2021, devastating the airport's revenues.

More direct routes abroad

Earlier this month, the airport announced new direct routes to the Carribean. That follows the restoration of several European routes.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe applauded the work the airport has done to attract more direct flights, especially after the federal government funnelled some routes through other cities during the pandemic.

"There was an effort by many airlines to route Ottawa residents and people coming to Ottawa through places like Toronto and Montreal, and that's not convenient for travellers and it's not convenient for business," Sutcliffe told CBC.

According to the authority, the volume of international passengers passing through the Ottawa airport grew by 37 per cent, while U.S. traffic grew by 29 per cent.

Margles said she's not worried about disruption in travel between Canada and the U.S. amid the ongoing trade war and sovereignty threats from the White House.

"I think a lot of the numbers that are being reported in the media are more related to car crossings at land borders. The reductions that we've seen have been small," she said.

Margles believes it's unlikely current economic and geopolitical challenges will hinder the upward travel trend, and she predicts further growth.

"Although we may encounter some bumps in our passenger numbers, we are confident that they will continue to grow in the medium and long term," she said.