Airports

The majority of Canada's national, regional and local airports are owned by either the federal, provincial or local government. In recent years, the responsibility for airport operations has been passing to private authorities under long-term lease agreements. These authorities have been instrumental in expanding, upgrading and modernizing Canada's airports to world-class standards.

Airports in Alberta

Alberta’s airports are among the busiest in the country. The Calgary and Edmonton International airports are the 4th and 5th busiest in Canada respectively and have a combined passenger volume of approximately 19 million. Calgary is the hub for air traffic on the prairies, while Edmonton is the "Gateway to the North." Both have 24-hour cargo service and modern cargo terminals run by Air Canada and International Aviation Terminals Inc.

The province also has ten regional passenger airports. They are located in the satellite cities of Edmonton City Centre, Fort Chipewyan, High Level, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Peace River and Rainbow Lake.

Air Service in Alberta

Alberta offers air service routes that cover the globe.

International Routes

  • Air Canada provides direct scheduled passenger service between Alberta and overseas markets.

Continental Routes

  • Over 200 transborder flights per week
  • Alberta currently receives scheduled transborder service from Air Canada, WestJet, and eight United States carriers:
    • US Airways
    • American
    • Continental
    • Delta
    • Horizon Air
    • United
    • SkyWest
    • Miami Air

National Routes

  • Over 2,700 domestic flights per week
  • Major airlines – Air Canada and WestJet fly to larger Canadian airports
  • Regional airlines – Air North and Canadian North and First Air fly to smaller centres in Canada's west and north

Provincial Routes

  • Connecting air services to destinations within the province are provided by AirBC and First Air:
    • AirBC relies mostly on Dash 8 Series 100 and 300 aircraft, with a capacity for 37 and 50 passengers respectively, for approximately 1,000 kg of cargo.
    • First Air offers service on a fleet of Boeing 727 and 737 aircraft for 115 to 172 passengers and 31,000 to 54,000 lbs of cargo.

National Airport System of Canada

Most of the commercial aviation activity that takes place in Canada is conducted through a network of over 600 certified airports and heliports. In addition, there are 1,300 registered aerodromes used for aircraft take-off and landing. Located throughout the country, the nation's airports vary significantly in size. They accommodate approximately 80 million passengers annually.

All airports in the national, provincial and territorial capitals, as well as those with an annual traffic volume of 200,000 or more passengers, are designated as part of the National Airport System (NAS). These facilities are critical links in Canada's air transportation system. They represent either the origin or destination for almost every inter-provincial and international flight. Over 90% of all scheduled air passengers pass through the 26 NAS designated airports:

Canada's Main Carrier

The country's main carrier, Air Canada, has built extensive domestic and international route networks around the National Airport System. Air Canada's alliances with other major carriers allow them to provide travelers with efficient connections to destinations around the globe. In addition, a number of international carriers also provide passengers with direct scheduled and chartered flights to and from Canada's major airports.

WestJet’s growing fleet now serves cities across Canada and the US (including Hawaii) along with destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

In addition to scheduled passenger service, these carriers also provide air cargo services that allow time-sensitive freight to move with equal speed and efficiency.

Regional & Local Airports in Canada

In addition to the NAS facilities, there is a secondary network of some 70 regional and local airports. These facilities typically see less than 200,000 passengers per year. They bring commercial air services to Canada's less populous urban centers and are generally connected through scheduled flights to at least one NAS designated airport.

Major Canadian Airports