Statistics Canada reports that aircraft movements at Canada's major and select small airports totalled 379,924 in February 2026, up 9.8% from the same month one year earlier. Local movements increased 14.3% year over year, while itinerant movements rose 7.8%.

An increase in flight school activity at Canada's major and select small airports contributed to the year-over-year increase (+14.3%) in local movements in February. Airports in British Columbia (+6,234 movements), Quebec (+5,370), and Ontario (+3,732) saw the largest gains.

Domestic itinerant movements, also influenced by increased flight school activity, climbed 9.4% year over year in February 2026, reaching 211,702. The airports with the largest increases were Abbotsford, British Columbia (+1,810 movements), Montr�al (St-Hubert)/Montr�al Metropolitan, Quebec (+1,266) and Langley, British Columbia (+1,175).

In contrast, transborder movements (to and from the United States) declined for the 11th consecutive month in February, falling 3.6% year over year to 28,694. Meanwhile, other international traffic (outside the United States) was up 9.5% to 18,638 movements, the 12th consecutive year-over-year increase in this sector. International movements were strong, despite Canadian carriers suspending flights to Cuba in mid-February due to an ongoing fuel shortage in the country.

 

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