Winnipeg’s airport records busiest day ever

By: Free Press staff Posted: 1:00 PM CDT Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

Winnipeg’s airport hit its busiest day on record last quarter as it continues toward its goal of reaching pre-pandemic traffic levels.

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Winnipeg’s airport hit its busiest day on record last quarter as it continues toward its goal of reaching pre-pandemic traffic levels.

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This article was published 02/11/2023 (675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s airport hit its busiest day on record last quarter as it continues toward its goal of reaching pre-pandemic traffic levels.

The WAA said 15,400 people passed through Winnipeg Richardson International Airport on Aug. 14.

This summer’s airport traffic nearly aligned with pre-pandemic numbers — 1.2 million passengers passed through between July and September, which is 99 per cent of the traffic during the same timeframe in 2019.

The Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The Winnipeg Airports Authority attributes the busyness to seasonal summer travel. Its revenue jumped 18 per cent year over year, to $45.3 million in 2023’s third quarter.

“The last three months have been really encouraging,” Nick Hays, the WAA’s chief executive, said in a news release.

The airport authority’s net income rose to $8.1 million, an increase from $4.4 million in 2022’s third quarter.

Still, the organization expects financial recovery to take several years. Hays said last week that he thinks recovery will take at least a decade.

The WAA took on a $100-million bond during the COVID-19 pandemic. It couldn’t close operations despite most travel halting.

Winnipeg air cargo traffic remained steady last quarter. It declined by 0.9 per cent, a slight decrease compared with the seven per cent drop globally.

The WAA made a number of announcements this summer, including launching its direct flight to Atlanta via WestJet and heralding the arrival of Toronto-based Porter Airlines.