Meet The Winners: Calgary Airport Authority

During Routes Americas 2024 in Bogota, Calgary International Airport (YYC) shared its recent successes, untapped opportunities, and what it meant to be named the Overall Winner at the Routes Awards.

YYC reached 18.5 million passengers in 2023, marking a 2.8% growth over the previous high set in 2019. The airport has experienced a remarkable return since the pandemic, achieving record-breaking passenger numbers and a record number of new routes launched in 2023. With over 90 nonstop destinations, YYC has focused on expanding its international connections to drive growth.

WestJet recently launched new services from its global hub at YYC, with its inaugural flight to Seoul in May 2024 operating three times weekly. This underscores the airline’s commitment to strengthening its relations with Asia. Additionally, its summer season YYC-Tokyo Narita Airport route has also been extended to year-round.

The Canadian carrier has also expanded in the European market, with its first flight to Reykjavik on May 16, 2024, operating four times weekly until Oct. 13. In 2023, the airline launched direct services to Edinburgh Airport, marking the first flight connections between the two cities.

Despite increased connectivity across Asia and Europe, Cindy Brown, director of air service development at YYC, told Routes that the airport is also looking to secure more service closer to home: “The U.S. is the biggest untapped market for Calgary, and some of the key routes that we are looking at are Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New Orleans.”

The major transportation hub, one of Canada’s busiest airports, was recognized for its latest achievements and dedication to airline partners, having been crowned the Overall Winner and coming out on top in the 5-20 Million Passengers category at the Routes Awards in Bogotá.

On its win, Brown added: “It was an honor to be nominated, but the fact that we won overall just shows the dedication of the amazing YYC team. Routes is my favorite event, connecting with new colleagues, making new friends, meeting with all the airlines, and learning so much about the industry.”

To ensure operational stability, the airport has commenced phase one of the Calgary Airport’s West Runway Rehabilitation project which is an estimated C$201 million ($147 million) investment.