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Airlines
Airfares continue to rise from last year — and soar above pre-pandemic levels
July 16, 2024 By The Canadian Press
Airfares continue to rise over last year — and soar above pre-pandemic levels Passengers are seen in the WestJet check-in area at Pearson International Airport, in Toronto, Saturday, June 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov Statistics Canada says airfares rose two per cent year-over-year in June, and continued to soar above pre-pandemic levels.
Figures from the consumer price index show the increase follows a 4.5 per cent year-over-year bump in May and a fairly flat April.
Prices also stood nearly 19 per cent above what travellers paid for their plane tickets in June 2019.
The pricier fares stem partly from limited competition and flight capacity among airlines, which more than offset softening demand since the post-pandemic travel boom.
National Bank analyst Cameron Doerksen says fares have risen for most of the year — including on key domestic routes — following an 11-month stretch of year-over-year declines, mainly in 2023.
However, he says WestJet may need to lower its prices in the short term to lure back customers after a two-day mechanics strike that prompted more than 1,300 flight cancellations and upended plans for at least 170,000 travellers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2024.
