Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has seen record-breaking growth in passenger numbers for 2018, according to a Wednesday announcement.
Last year, YVR welcomed more than 25.9 million passengers, which is a 7.3 per cent increase compared to 2017.
This means the airport has reached its 25 million passenger milestone two years ahead of its forecast.
“This is an exciting time of incredible growth at YVR,” commented Craig Richmond, president and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority, in a press release.
The airport believes that its 9.1-billion expansion program, which includes 75 major capital improvement projects scheduled over the next 20 years, has fueled the passenger growth.
“We look forward to unveiling some of the projects under our current multi-billion-dollar construction program to address this growth and build the airport of the future,” said Richmond.
The company also attributes the growth to expanded services from its airline partners, especially the “significant continued growth” from Air Canada, who has chosen YVR as its premier trans-Pacific hub, according to the company.
Last year, Air Canada introduced new flights to 10 destinations and increased services on five existing routes.
“We continue to work with our airline partners and the entire airport community to position YVR as a world-class connecting hub, providing greater access for people and products to global destinations, all while driving economic benefits for our region,” said Richmond.
YVR expects to serve more than 29 million passengers in 2020 and over 32 million by 2022.
