Vancouver International Airport says it could see as many as 125,000 passengers each week over the summer.
That’s if current trends continue, a spokesperson for YVR told the Richmond News via email.
However, they cautioned that “it’s difficult to know how things will adjust” come August, when U.S. travellers will be allowed to enter the country for the first time in 16 months.
During the first week of July, 106,000 passengers passed through the airport – up from 82,666 in the last week of June. Numbers have since continued to trend upwards.
While traffic at YVR is still much lower than it was before the pandemic – for example, the airport saw about 90,000 to 100,000 passengers per day during the summer of 2019 – it is up “considerably” from this time last year, when the airport only saw about 17,000 passengers each week.
On July 1, B.C. entered the third phase of its restart plan, which allows for recreational travel across Canada. Meanwhile, the federal government eased quarantine rules for Canadians and permanent residents fully-vaccinated with a Health Canada approved vaccine.
Ottawa also announced this week that, as of Aug. 9, fully-vaccinated American travellers will be allowed to enter Canada – a move the airport said is a “significant and positive step forward” to re-opening the country’s borders. The 14-day quarantine requirement will be waived for eligible travellers, who have been fully vaccinated with a Health Canada approved vaccine.
If case rates remain low, Canada will open the borders to fully-vaccinated international travellers on Sept. 7.
Anyone arriving in Canada must also have a negative molecular test 72 hours before departure and use the ArriveCAN app to submit their information.
