Over 500,000 passengers are utilizing Hamilton’s Airport for travel: Survey

One place often comes to mind when it comes to airports in Ontario, and that’s Pearson International Airport in Mississauga. While the massive international travel center has seen a substantial uptick in traffic in the last year, you’d be surprised to learn that numerous other airports in the province are thriving just as well alongside it.

Particularly in this case, Hamilton. 

A recent report — published on behalf of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport — suggests that over the last several years, there has been a substantial increase in traffic and traveller satisfaction in the location. The results of the survey indicated that in 2022 alone, 645,789 people passed through the airport, with Air Transat, West Jet, and Swoop being the primary airlines in operation.

Other airlines that fly in and out of the airport include Lynx Air and Play and while passengers seeking long-haul flights to destinations in Asia or South America might have to fly out of Pearson, travellers can fly to cities in Europe, North America and the Caribbean from Hamilton.

Like many other airports across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted air travel, resulting in an astounding low of only 250,019 passengers engaging in air travel through Hamilton International in 2021. 

When comparing the surveyed data between 2021 and 2022, numbers almost tripled in just a year when it came to passenger usage. 

Additional data also suggests that when compared to 2019’s metric of 955 373 passengers, Hamilton International Airport has seen an increase in traffic growth, upwards of 158 percent in 2022. 

Surveyed data also suggests that, when compared to pre-pandemic numbers, there has been a 68 percent increase in passengers overall, signalling a new age for air travel for the airport, its airlines and passengers. This increase can also be tied to a recent incentive launched by the City of Hamilton, which includes a $500-million plan to build an entire commercial and residential district.

Additional incentives were also put in place to ensure that Hamilton International Airport was fully embraced as a launch pad for individuals and families in Ontario looking to vacation. The 2022 Summer Program helped travellers reach ideal locations in the US, Atlantic Canada, Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, according to the surveyed data. 

2022 also marked the arrival of a new airline, Lynx Air, boosting location options and resulting in higher customer traffic and satisfaction.