Canada-U.S. Airline Demand Plummets Over 70%
So, here we are again, folks. Seems like the travel affliction between Canada and the United States continues to be one heck of a soap opera. We’ve got new data, and it’s painting a picture even Picasso wouldn’t want to hang on his wall. The drama in air travel demand is crossing international lines and can’t be ignored.
Transborder flight bookings take a nosedive by 70%+
We all suspected there was something in the air—apart from, you know, actual airplanes—and now the numbers confirm it. The airline schedules have been quietly tiptoeing back from the border like a cat avoiding a cold bath. But if you thought that was bad, brace yourself. This is just the preview.
Our trusty aviation detectives over at OAG have crunched the numbers, and, frankly, they’re bleak. Comparing sunny summer booking habits from March 2024 and the gloomy March 2025, here’s the kicker: the bookings have plunged between April and September like a stone in a pond.
Sitting comfortably? Good. Because the data’s about to drop:
- March 2024 saw a cozy 1,218,570 tickets hanging out for April flights.
- Flash forward to March 2025, and that number plummets to 295,982, a shadow of its former self.
- This translates to a mind-boggling 75.7% drop in ticket sales.
Barely anyone does a double-take when change comes knocking, but this colossal chasm of demand? You just don’t see that every day, folks.
The reason behind this change? It’s anyone’s dinner table debate. We don’t know if this is rock bottom or just an intermission in a longer theatrical tragedy. But with April creeping up like a bill collector, these figures feel as unavoidable as airline peanuts.
When will airlines cut more transborder capacity?
A few airlines have started trimming their schedules, but so far, these cuts barely scratch the surface. OAG reports we’re looking at a mere snip of 1.6% to 3.5% in April through September flights between these two love-to-hate neighbors.
With the current outlook, they’ll need to bring out their metaphorical chainsaws unless a miracle of miraculous proportions occurs. And let’s face it, if any airline’s getting the brunt of it, it’s probably Air Canada. They could divert more routes domestically or perhaps consider sunny alternatives like Val Seny ski resort destinations. But hey, who says airlines don’t deal in dreams and miracles?
All this makes life interesting for route planners who are trying to decide which routes to prioritize and which to consign to the travel bin of history. It’s a challenge, given the invisible nature of future demand and travelers’ whims.
Bottom Line
So what’s the takeaway here? For those of us playing travel chess, this is one brutal game. We all felt the winds of change blowing between Canada and the United States, but no one saw this hurricane coming. With over 70% of summer flight bookings vanished into thin air, airlines have barely started pruning their schedules – less than 4%. Big changes are looming like a summer storm.
What are your thoughts on this massive drop in transborder flight bookings? Are you as surprised as I am?