Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is prioritizing new long-haul links as it builds on strong passenger growth, with unserved markets in Asia-Pacific and Europe leading its network development strategy.
Stephen Smart, head of communications for Vancouver Airport Authority, said demand for Vietnam is especially strong. “If we were making a list and asking people around Western Canada where they’d like to go, Vietnam would be very high on that list,” he told Routes. Alongside Ho Chi Minh City, other targets include Rome, Barcelona, Melbourne and Lisbon, reflecting both leisure and business demand.
YVR welcomed 26.2 million passengers in 2024, its second-highest total ever, alongside a record 339,000 metric tons of cargo. Passenger traffic rose 5.1% year on year, and cargo shipments grew 7%.
The airport expects 2025 to surpass both records, fueled by strong transpacific demand. Asia-Pacific volumes are up 15% this year, with international flights to the region increasing 10%.
“Asia-Pacific in particular is a really positive story for us,” Smart said, pointing to strong demand for services from Japan, South Korea and China. Recent network developments include T’way Air’s first-ever Canadian service to Seoul, Zipair’s entry from Tokyo Narita and Air Canada’s expansion to Manila, Singapore and Bangkok.
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India is also high on YVR’s long-term agenda, driven by strong demand from British Columbia’s large South Asian community. Europe continues to perform well, with traffic up nearly 9% in August. Smart pointed to Southern European cities as priority opportunities, while noting that additional service to the UK is another goal.
However, transborder markets have been softer. “We’ve had a strong year in 2025 despite geopolitical headwinds, and while we’ve seen some softening in our transborder routes, it’s nothing compared to land border crossings,” Smart said.
He explained that in some months land crossings were down by two-thirds, while air traffic at YVR declined by less than 2%. “Obviously we don’t want to see a drop, but compared to what it could be, that’s pretty minimal. We continue to see very strong U.S.-into-Canada traffic.”
Vancouver’s cruise business also provided a boost, with a strong Alaska season generating additional passenger flows.
Latin America represents another long-term growth area. “There’s really strong business connectivity, particularly into Chile in the mining space, but also Argentina and Brazil,” Smart said. He added that YVR’s position makes it a natural connecting point between Asia-Pacific and South America.
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