7 million more travellers have used Pearson Airport in Mississauga so far in 2023

Nearly seven million more travellers have used Pearson Airport in Mississauga during the first half of 2023 compared to the same time period last year, recent passenger numbers show.

Officials with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which operates Pearson, say the figures in its latest report show air travel continues to increase as it trends toward returning to pre-pandemic levels.

According to the report, which tracks passenger activity and other information each quarter of the year, 21.2 million passengers (13.7 million international, 7.5 million domestic) passed through Pearson’s terminals during the first six months of 2023.

By comparison, 14.6 million travellers (8.7 million international, 5.9 million domestic) used Pearson Airport from January to July of 2022.

In all of 2022, 35.6 million passengers (21.3 million international, 14.3 million domestic) used Canada’s largest and busiest airport, compared to 12.7 million in 2021 when numerous air travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were in place.

While 2023 passenger numbers to date indicate the full-year number will eclipse that of 2022, it remains to be seen if it will top the 50.5 million passengers total from 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

The number dropped dramatically in 2020, year one of the pandemic, to 13.3 million passengers at Pearson.

GTAA officials say the passenger numbers are trending in the right direction toward pre-pandemic levels.

“Passenger activity increased (first half of 2023) due to the high travel demand, which continues to remain strong, and the removal of pandemic-related government travel restrictions that existed during the first half of 2022,” the GTAA said in its report. “During the second quarter and first half of 2023, passenger activity recovered to 88.3 per cent and 86.5 per cent relative to the same periods of 2019 passenger activity, respectively.”

Pearson Airport and airlines are still in the midst of various improvements and upgrades to ensure the air travel chaos that characterized much of 2022 is greatly reduced or eliminated moving forward, airport officials have said.

Chart shows latest passenger and other information at Pearson Airport. (Source: Greater Toronto Airports Authority)