YVR sets back-to-back passenger records, with August topping 2.8 million
The airport handled 10.5 million passengers from June 1 to Sept. 30, up 5.5 per cent on the same stretch of 2025, and August was the first month ever to pass 2.8 million.
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Vancouver International Airport set back-to-back monthly passenger records this summer. August 2026 was the first month in the airport's history to pass 2.8 million passengers, arrivals and departures combined, with 2.815 million travellers.
From June 1 to Sept. 30, YVR handled 10.5 million passengers, up from 10.1 million over the same stretch of 2025. Monthly totals were 2.5 million in June, 2.7 million in July, 2.8 million in August and 2.5 million in September. Year over year, June rose 2.6 per cent, July 2.6 per cent, August 6.3 per cent and September 4.7 per cent.
The airport credits the FIFA World Cup, a record cruise season at the Port of Vancouver and new flight options. About 2.98 million passengers passed through during the World Cup period, when Vancouver hosted seven matches between June 13 and July 7. YVR had planned for about 88,000 passengers a day, 5 to 10 per cent above normal summer traffic.
The growth is not even across routes. Asia-Pacific destinations saw what the Vancouver Airport Authority calls a "significant increase," with passenger growth up 14.4 per cent so far this year. Air travel between Vancouver and the United States has fallen for 20 consecutive months on a year-over-year basis, according to HighOnCity reporting from October.
Cargo is also moving. Volume is up 13.7 per cent so far this year, driven by international activity, particularly from Asia and Europe. YVR has committed to doubling air cargo volumes over the next five years. The airport is Canada's second busiest. The 2025 annual total of more than 26.9 million passengers was already an all-time record, so this summer's peaks are landing on top of a high baseline.
