Toronto Pearson Airport got busier this year despite plummeting U.S. travel

Toronto Pearson International Airport registered an increase in travellers during the first half of 2026, despite a continued falloff of outbound travel to the United States.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) released its financial and operating results from the first half of the year on Thursday following the conclusion of its second quarter, revealing an uptick in travel that may come as a surprise to some amid tense cross-border relations with the United States.

The GTAA shared that Canada's busiest airport experienced an increase of roughly 400,000 passengers during the second quarter of 2026, a 3.3 per cent increase in volume to 12.4 million passengers, and an increase of 800,000 or 3.5 per cent to 23.5 million passengers year-to-date versus the same timeframe in 2025.

According to July figures from Statistics Canada, Canadian outbound leisure-related travel to the United States declined by 21.5 per cent, or 3.2 million visits in 2025, as more people opt for overseas travel amid punitive U.S. economic policies.

However, the GTAA noted that, "While the international sector continues to be affected by a decline in volume to the United States, growth has been driven by modest increases in other international volume and strong domestic demand, with more Canadians choosing to travel within Canada."

Deborah Flint, President and CEO of GTAA, chalks the "steady growth" in travel in part up to the FIFA World Cup, noting that increases in passenger volume "reflect the competitive position of our airport and the advancement of our strategic priorities." 

Pearson Airport's revenue also spiked during Q2 2026, increasing 8.8 per cent to $566.6 million, with GTAA attributing this growth to higher rates and fees, aviation activity, and passenger traffic.

Flint sees the potential for continued growth through Pearson's LIFT program, which recently awarded a contract for the revitalization of the airport's Terminal 1 and 3.

"The pace of LIFT is essential to strengthening Toronto Pearson's role as a vital connector for people, businesses and goods, and generating economic impact, while positioning the airport for long-term growth," added Flint.

However, in today's unpredictable world, GTAA says that Pearson "continues to monitor the global economic and political landscape, risks, and evolves measures to adapt to economic uncertainty."