Charlottetown Airport busy with U.S. flights

American lift contributed to record year at airport

Image | airport tower and plane

Caption: American traffic made up 12 per cent of the total at Charlottetown Airport in 2016. (Pat Martel/CBC)

There was a big increase in traffic between American airports and Charlottetown Airport in 2016, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.
The American traffic was part of a mix that led to a record year for the airport last year.
Statistics Canada reported an increase of 22 per cent in American airport passenger traffic, which contributed to a 12 per cent increase in traffic overall. American traffic made up 12 per cent of total traffic in 2016.

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Numbers include inbound and outbound

The Statistics Canada numbers include Americans coming to P.E.I. and Islanders heading to the U.S., but tourism numbers suggest a significant amount of the traffic was inbound.
As measured in overnight stays, provincial tourism numbers show a 17.5 per cent increase in American tourism in 2016.
That increase comes in spite of changes that could have led to a drop in American tourism and more Islanders heading for the States.
Delta Airlines shut down a direct flight between Charlottetown and New York in 2015, and WestJet added seasonal service between Charlottetown and Orlando.