Operating revenue for the 24 largest Canadian air carriers totalled $8.6 billion in the second quarter, up 7.3% compared with the same quarter of 2023.
At $7.6 billion, passenger revenue was the main revenue source for airlines in the second quarter of 2024, while air cargo generated $560.1 million in revenue.
From April to June, Canadian carriers transported 22.8 million passengers on scheduled and charter services.
Operating revenue continues ascent
During the second quarter, operating revenue for the 24 largest Canadian air carriers (Levels I and II) totalled $8.6 billion, 7.3% higher than in the second quarter of 2023 and 24.4% above the same quarter in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Passenger revenue, at $7.6 billion, represented 87.9% of total operating revenue in the second quarter of 2024, while cargo revenue, at $560.1 million, represented 6.5% of total operating revenue.
Chart 1 Quarterly goods revenue, Canadian air carriers
Source(s): Table 23-10-0260-01.
In contrast, total operating expenses were $8.2 billion in the second quarter, 12.3% higher than in the second quarter of 2023 and 26.7% higher than in the same quarter of 2019.
Chart 2 Operating revenue and expenses, Canadian air carriers
Source(s): Table 23-10-0260-01.
Other operating expenses, such as depreciation and maintenance, accounted for the largest share (51.0%) of total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2024, followed by turbo fuel (26.0%) and wages, salaries and benefits (23.0%).
Passenger traffic recovers
The 24 largest Canadian air carriers transported 22.8 million passengers in the second quarter, that is, 22.3 million on scheduled flights and 455,000 on chartered flights. While this represents an increase of 2.6% from the same quarter in 2023, it is virtually unchanged from the pre-pandemic level recorded in the second quarter of 2019.
In the second quarter of 2024, there were 11.0 million passengers on domestic routes and 11.7 million passengers on international routes. Among the passengers on international routes, 5.5 million took transborder flights (between Canada and the United States) and 6.2 million took other international flights.
Chart 3 Passengers carried, by sector, Canadian air carriers
Source(s): Table 23-10-0259-01.
Scheduled (non-charter) traffic was 59.7 billion passenger-kilometres in the second quarter, while capacity was 70.6 billion available seat-kilometres, resulting in a load factor of 84.5%, on par with the 84.2% load factor from the same quarter in 2019.
Chart 4 Passenger load factor, Canadian air carriers
Source(s): Table 23-10-0258-01.
Note to readers
This release covers Canadian Level I and II air carriers. The number of air carriers remained 24 in 2024; however, one Level II air carrier was reclassified to Level I.
Level I air carriers include every Canadian air carrier that, in the calendar year before the year in which information is provided, transported at least 2 million revenue passengers or at least 400 000 tonnes of cargo.
Level II air carriers include every Canadian air carrier that, in the calendar year before the year in which information is provided, transported (a) at least 100,000, but fewer than 2 million, revenue passengers, or (b) at least 50 000 tonnes, but fewer than 400 000 tonnes, of cargo.
Net non-operating income and loss are from commercial ventures that are not part of the air transportation services, from other revenues and expenses attributable to financing or other activities that are not an integral part of air transportation, and from special recurrent items of a non-periodic nature. Provision for income taxes is also included. Non-operating income can be, for example, capital gains from the sale of aircraft, interest income and foreign exchange adjustment, while non-operating expenses can include capital losses and interest on bank loans and other debt.
Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
Survey data are revised on a quarterly basis to reflect new information.
Because of rounding, components may not add up to the total.
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