Labour Day travel expected to cap off a strong summer season at YVR
With many travellers making the most of the end of summer and getting ready for a return to fall routines, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is preparing for what is expected to be a busy Labour Day long weekend wrapping up a strong summer for passenger volumes.
YVR is anticipating approximately 350,000 travellers will pass through the airport between Friday, Sept. 4 and Monday, Sept. 7, averaging about 87,000 each day. The busiest days are expected to be Monday with 90,000 passengers forecast and Friday with 88,000 passengers anticipated.
With the FIFA 2026 World Cup kicking off the summer season back in June and then strong visitor and cruise traffic into Vancouver this year, the Labour Day long weekend follows what is shaping up to be a record-breaking summer travel season at YVR. Final passenger volumes will be confirmed in early fall.
YVR is also seeing strong cargo growth this year, with 13 per cent more cargo moving through the airport through July compared with the same period last year. This is being driven by strong international activity, particularly from Asia and Europe. YVR recently announced a pledge to double our air cargo volumes over the next five years.
The top 10 destinations from YVR over the Labour Day long weekend are:
- Toronto
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Montreal
- Hong Kong
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Seattle
- Kelowna
- Seoul
Travellers coming through YVR this long weekend will also have another option to grab a bite, with YVR’s second and larger Pret A Manger location opening August 31st post-security in the Domestic Terminal, near Gate B17.
Passengers can also help make their journey smoother this busy long weekend by confirming flight details with their airline or at yvr.ca before heading to the airport. Those driving to YVR are encouraged to reserve parking in advance and give themselves adequate driving time, particularly during peak travel periods.
People will also notice the following YVR innovation investments to help make for a seamless journey from curbside to gate:
- Computed Tomography (CT) X-ray equipment at both Domestic checkpoints allows domestic travellers to save time by leaving large electronics, such as laptops, and liquids in their bags for a faster security screening experience.
- Travellers also have more opportunities to use biometric identity verification tools instead of showing boarding passes and physical identification, with United Airlines now joining the biometrics program and YVR reaching a key milestone of 500,000 passengers boarded using biometrics so far this year. This includes Air Canada’s Digital ID program for domestic flights and newly installed e-gates for those travelling to the U.S. via U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Traveller Verification Service (TVS) facial comparison technology.