Transatlantic Travel: Canada-Europe Flights Hit Record Highs
by Marsha Mowers
New data has revealed Canadians are travelling to Europe more than ever as transatlantic flights are up 5% this month and 14% above pre-pandemic levels in August 2019.
According to aviation analytic firm Cirium, a total of 4,276 one-way flights are scheduled between the two regions this month alone, offering over 1.2 million seats—the highest on record.
Air Canada is a significant contributor to that growth and added 112 additional flights from Europe this month, up 8% over last year. With the additional flights, Air Canada now operates a third of all scheduled flights on the transatlantic corridor.
The airline has also launched five new routes between Europe and Canada this summer: Edinburgh – Montréal Trudeau, London Heathrow – Ottawa, Naples – Montréal Trudeau, Prague – Toronto Pearson and Porto – Montréal Trudeau.
While it’s not official what is driving demand between the two countries, it is largely assumed travellers on both sides of the pond are choosing to avoid spending their holidays in the US. According to Business Insider, European guest bookings at U.S. hotels dropped by approximately 25%, with many travellers opting for Canada or South America instead while U.S.–Europe growth lagged at just 4%, with shrinking capacity on some routes.
