Ottawa Airport Sees Rise in U.S Travel: A 7% Increase Amid Decline

Despite a sharp 22% year-over-year decline in overall air travel from Canada to the U.S. this June, one Canadian airport is defying the trend—posting a notable increase in transborder traffic.

According to CTV News, Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) saw a 7% increase in air travellers to the U.S with 406,786 trans-border passengers departing and arriving from the U.S. between January and June of this year.

That number’s in stark contrast to new federal data that found Canadian residents returning from travel to the U.S. by air in June was down 22% year-over-year, in what Statistics Canada calls “a steep decline.” 

Florida, a perennial favourite among Canadian snowbirds, appears to be a key driver behind the uptick in demand—despite reduced airlift from Air Canada. Service to Orlando has been scaled back from four to just one weekly flight, while flights to Tampa were suspended until December and will return with reduced frequency, dropping from three to one flight per week for the 2025/2026 season.

Ottawa Airport Authority spokesperson Krista Kealey told CTV News Ottawa that, “service to Florida – traditionally a strong market for the Ottawa-Gatineau region – has been scaled back, though it continues to perform well, possibly due to property owners continuing to travel. The sustained strength of the Washington routes may reflect ongoing trade and tariff-related activity.”

Porter Airlines has also launched several seasonal routes—including Fort Myers and Tampa—and extended existing ones (like to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando) into year-round service, more than doubling winter capacity to Florida destinations.