Somebody, sometime this spring, is going to become the 7 millionth passenger to land at the Comox Valley Airport.
That's coming after what the airport is calling a "banner year" in 2024. The Comox Valley Airport welcomed 402,757 passengers last year, marking the third busiest year on record and the busiest since the pandemic.
"The robust year-end figures underscore the continued recovery and growth in air travel demand, with the annual passenger count reflecting an 8.3 per cent increase 鈥� or 30,768 additional travellers 鈥� compared to 2023. December alone saw a total of 36,014 passengers representing an impressive 17 per cent increase compared to December 2023," a release from the airport says.
The last quarter of 2024 was the airport's busiest on record, peaking in both November and October.
鈥淭he resurgence in passenger traffic at YQQ speaks to the airport鈥檚 commitment to providing outstanding service, maintaining strong partnerships with airline carriers, and enhancing connectivity for the region,鈥� says Comox Valley Airport Commission CEO Mike Atkins. 鈥淭his year saw the successful launch of a new route to Kelowna, and the continued popularity of our seasonal flights to Toronto and Puerto Vallarta. Overall we are now 98 per cent recovered to 2019 passenger levels 鈥� a testament to the vital link our airport represents for Vancouver Island.鈥�
Thanks to the successes in 2024 and the projected growth in the region, the airport is looking forward to another milestone in early 2025.
"YQQ is due to welcome its landmark 7-millionth passenger in Spring 2025," the release says.
