Traffic at B.C.'s busiest airport has continued to increase for the first half of the year.
Based on the latest statistics from the Vancouver Airport Authority, total passenger traffic has increased 4.1% for the first six months of 2012, rising to more than 8.5 million travellers from 8.2 million for the same period in 2011. Passenger traffic has grown across the board with a:
•5.6% increase in Asia Pacific traffic;
•4.6% increase in European passengers;
•4.2% increase in transborder trips; and
•3.7% increase in domestic passengers.
If the passenger growth pattern persists, YVR is on track to see a fifth consecutive year of growth in overall passengers following the declines in 2009 that saw passenger numbers drop to $16.2 million from a record 17.8 million in 2008.
While still positive, it's a more muted story for air cargo passing through YVR.
Total cargo has risen a relatively modest 1.3% to 108,307 tonnes for the first half of the year with a 1.8% drop in cargo from integrator/courier airlines. •
