YQB On a Roll: Québec City Airport Offers a Whole Lot More Seats This Year

Capacity at Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) this year will jump by 15% over 2025, with that percentage reaching nearly 25% over the summer season. The big numbers represent a record increase among Canadian major airports for the year. 

In concrete terms, this means that 376,456 additional seats (2,965,889 in total) will be available for travellers from the region and all over Québec.

Airport officials say this growth in capacity sends a clear message: airlines believe in the potential of the Québec City market. However, it also highlights a key issue for years to come: the market’s ability to support and sustain this increase.

“Passengers wanted more destinations, more flights. and more seats,” said Stéphane Poirier, President and CEO of YQB. 

“We heard them, and thanks to our excellent relationships with the airlines, that is exactly what they are getting. This achievement was also made possible by a collaborative approach that rallies all of the regional stakeholders, opening the door to new opportunities. Now it’s up to all of us to prove that the airlines were right to believe in our market, by showing up to ensure these routes continue.”

The summer of 2026 will bring major improvement for people travelling through YQB, with highlights including:

• More destinations: New international destinations added, including Nantes, Marseille, and Washington.
• More frequent flights: Flights and capacity added for strategic hubs like Vancouver, Paris, and Calgary.
• More varied options: Year-round flights to Fort-de-France, Martinique; return of the Porter flight to Toronto (Pearson); and addition of an American Airlines flight to New York (JFK).
• For the summer 2026 season alone, travellers will enjoy 5 more destinations than in 2025.

The number of seats offered at YQB has grown by 27% overall since the pre-pandemic years (2019). Specifically, it has grown by:

• 44% for cross-border flights.
• 111% for international flights.
• 9% for domestic flights.

While nearly one in two travellers from the Québec City region is still choosing to fly out of another airport, officials say the benefits of flying out of YQB are numerous: a wide range of destinations, quality facilities, international connectivity, a streamlined travel experience, shorter waits, a friendlier atmosphere, easy access and affordable parking — all without the extra costs (gas, long-term parking, hotel stays, meals, longer travel time) involved in flying out of another airport.

YQB is aiming to receive 2.4 million passengers by 2030. The airport says this year will be a decisive one for that goal as the attractiveness of the platform is consolidated and all regional stakeholders are mobilized.