PEIAfter two consecutive record-breaking years, Charlottetown Airport saw 16 per cent fewer passengers in August, and air travel is down by about eight per cent overall so far this year.Passenger traffic was down 16% in August and 8% overall so far this yearRyan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Oct 04, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 4Doug Newson, CEO of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, says Air Canada makes up over half of the airport’s seat capacity, so the carrier’s three-day flight attendants strike is a major reason why YYG’s number were down in August. (Mary-Helen McLeese/CBC)After two consecutive record-breaking years, Charlottetown Airport saw 16 per cent fewer passengers in August, and air travel is down by about eight per cent overall so far this year. Doug Newson, CEO of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, said the decrease is due to a number of factors, including some airlines reducing their seasonal flights and an Air Canada flight attendants strike in August.”If we were comparing… the same number of flights or seats year over year and we are down, we’d be very concerned,” Newson said.”But this year we have some schedule changes, in particular with Flair and WestJet with some change of product, which has resulted in less seats available for sale.”The Air Canada strike was one of a few factors that lead to less travel through the Charlottetown Airport this summer. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)The recent Air Canada work stoppage resulted in disruptions across the country, including in Charlottetown. The three-day strike ended Aug. 19 with the help of a federal mediator after it upended thousands of customers’ travel plans.Charlottetown saw four days without flights during the strike, Newson said, which amounted to 40 scheduled flights and around 6,500 seats cancelled.”When we lose a carrier like that for four days in peak summer, it’s going to have an impact,” he said. So far this year, Newson said total seat capacity is down by 10 per cent and overall passenger traffic is down by eight. It isn’t all bad news though. Newson said all of the airlines at YYG are seeing increases over last year in the average number of passengers on flights. “The good news [is] the airlines are all happy with the performance of what they are providing, and we’re already hearing that we may see some additional capacity… to recover for next summer.”Loss of seasonal flightsNewson said the biggest factor in the traffic decline besides the Air Canada strike was the loss of seasonal flights by Flair and WestJet.In 2024, passenger travel through Charlottetown Airport increased by two per cent over 2023, which had been the airport’s previous record year. (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC)”Flair… in 2024 had flights to Kitchner-Waterloo and Toronto, and this year they just have the Toronto flights,” he said.”WestJet continues to fly Calgary and Edmonton service, but last year they hit three flights a week to Toronto, which did not come back.”Newson said Porter Airlines added some flights, but not enough to offset the other carriers’ cutbacks.Last year, 410,773 passengers travelled through Charlottetown Airport — an increase of two per cent over 2023, which had been the airport’s previous record year.The airport is in the midst of a terminal expansion project that will allow it to accommodate more passengers. That work is expected to be completed by 2027.ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College Journalism program and a web writer at CBC P.E.I.With files from Jackie Sharkey
Charlottetown Airport sees drop in traffic due to Air Canada strike, loss of seasonal flights
