Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga solidified its status as Canada’s busiest airport in 2024, with 46.8 million travellers passing through its terminals—a 4.4 per cent increase from the previous year, according to a new report by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). The growth continues Pearson’s strong post-pandemic rebound, having risen from 35.6 million passengers in 2022 to 44.8 million in 2023, and now nearing its pre-COVID peak of 50.5 million in 2019.
Of the 46.8 million passengers recorded in 2024, 30.4 million travelled internationally while 16.4 million flew within Canada. The GTAA attributed the growth largely to a 7.5 per cent surge in international travel, reinforcing Pearson’s position as North America’s most internationally connected airport.
By comparison, Vancouver International Airport saw 26.2 million passengers in 2024, and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport served 22.4 million travellers—maintaining their second- and third-place rankings nationally. In 2023, Vancouver and Montreal recorded 24.9 million and 21.2 million passengers, respectively.
GTAA president and CEO Deborah Flint called 2024 an “exceptionally good year” for Pearson. She highlighted the arrival of seven new airlines—the most added at any major North American airport—as a key achievement, alongside the airport being named North America’s Best Airport Over 40 Million Passengers by the Airport Service Quality awards.
Flint noted that Pearson’s growing passenger numbers reflect early progress on the airport’s new 10-year strategic plan. With this, the airport is ramping up investments to enhance the traveller experience, expand capacity, and embrace digital transformation and new technologies to improve operational resilience.
Following a pandemic-era drop to just 13.3 million travellers in 2020 and 12.7 million in 2021, Pearson has rapidly recovered, drawing more passengers each year. The GTAA remains optimistic about reaching and surpassing 2019’s peak in the near future.