Canada receives upwards of 22 million international travellers every year, and our airports are their first impression of our country. They’re also Canadians’ main gateway when we’re finally going on vacation.
But which airports are the best for dining, baggage claim, or going through customs? We’ve lined up six nominations for the best airports in Canada. See if yours is one of them.
Easiest Canadian airport to navigate
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) (also known as L’aéroport International Macdonald-Cartier) serves both the capital of Ottawa and the neighbouring Gatineau region. This international airport is known for being easy to navigate thanks to its smaller size, clear bilingual signage, and customer service.
You can also pass the time at the Aspire Lounge, a rare lounge experience that’s open to the public through a day pass. Inside, you’ll get access to workspaces, complimentary beverages & food, and plenty of comfy seating.
Best airport dining experience
This one goes to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ), which is rich with culinary treasures. From modern Japanese to fresh-squeezed juices, the dining options at Toronto Pearson offer a good variety of flavours and price points—many of which are found in Terminal 1.
Try the custom burgers at BUILT (like the bacon-egg-burger with tater tots) or the sandwiches and pho at Banh Shop, a Vietnamese baguette stop that has won several awards. Also in Terminal 1 is Lee Kitchen, an Asian-fusion powerhouse by Toronto chef Susur Lee. If you can’t make it to his restaurants in Singapore or Toronto, at least you can get a taste of his Hoisin-Maple Chicken Supreme on your way through the airport.
Elsewhere in the airport, you’ll also find cuisines like Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian, and, of course, a good ol’ A&W.
Best views from a Canadian airport
With so much grandeur out there in the Canadian landscape, it was hard to choose just one Canadian airport with stellar views—so we chose two.
Victoria Airport serves the small but impressive capital of British Columbia, with views of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains in neighbouring Washington state. If you can stop at the BC Aviation Museum next to the airport before your flight, you’ll get to walk among historical aircraft and pay homage to the Canadians who have fought in past wars.
Kelowna Airport is also in picturesque British Columbia, with views of Okanagan Lake and the surrounding mountains. Peek out the window when you’re in flight; you may see locals sailing, fishing, or windsurfing on the lake during the warmer months. And don’t forget to enjoy the massive glass entryway at Kelowna to soak up the sun before you hit the skies.
Best customs experience in Canada
Here’s some good news: Passengers arriving on international flights to Vancouver can now go through customs a little more easily. Travellers can actually complete their customs declaration up to 72 hours prior to arriving by using an app. Then, upon touchdown, visitors simply verify their identity at an electronic kiosk with their passports, and off they go.
According to YVR’s statement in September of 2022, “Passengers arriving at YVR are now moving through Canada’s customs and border process up to 50% faster per traveller thanks to an innovative new technology that we developed in partnership with the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).”
Prettiest airport interior
Yes, here’s another superlative that goes to the Vancouver Airport. With so much to see and experience in this airport, visitors who need to spend a layover in Vancouver will certainly not be bored.
Experience a series of indigenous art installations, a massive aquarium situated among the international departure gates, and something called “The Pacific Passage.” This walkway takes international visitors to the customs area through a series of art experiences and audiovisual effects, most of which are created by First Nations artists. You’ll see a waterfall wall, welcome figures in the traditional carving style of the Coast Salish people, and colourful Musqueam woven wall hangings, (You can see more of the highlights here.)
For those not traveling internationally, you’ll love the Airport’s Green Wall, a 17-metre-high living wall that’s bursting with live, green foliage year-round. It’s an impressive sight with over 27,000 individual plants, including ferns, ground cover plants, and evergreen perennials.
Best baggage claim experience
We now move over to Alberta to showcase the Calgary Airport, which proudly offers the best baggage claim experience of all airports in Canada. After installing an all-new baggage tracking and claiming system, the process averages only 10 minutes and is designed after the leading-edge systems in Europe.
Most importantly for travellers: the system eliminates the need for connecting passengers to claim and then recheck their bags.
Canada’s best airports: FAQs
How many airports are there in Canada?
Canada has 152 airports when you count regional airports, Arctic airports, and smaller airfields. According to the Canadian Transportation System, we have the following breakdown:
- As of 2023, there’s a total of 26 airports in the National Airports System (NAS)
- There are 71 regional and local airports in Canada serving scheduled passenger traffic
- Canada has 31 small and satellite airports without scheduled passenger services
- Canada has 13 remote airports providing the only reliable year-round transportation link to isolated communities
- Canada has 11 airports in the arctic areas (including the three territorial capital airports counted already in the NAS)
Why do Canada’s airports all start with “Y”?
This phenomenon is a holdover from the 1930s. At that time, airports were asked to indicate with a Y in their code that “Yes,” the airport did have a weather station at the airport for safety. The practice stuck, and Canada’s airports are now easily recognizable for their Y++ airport codes.
Which is the biggest airport in Canada?
The biggest airport in Canada is the Toronto Pearson Airport, serving 50 million passengers a year. For international travel, Toronto Pearson is second in North America only to JFK Airport in New York City.
What are the major airports in Canada?
The 26 major airports in Canada that are listed in the National Airports System (NAS) are:
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Toronto, Ontario
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR) – Vancouver, British Columbia
- Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) – Montreal, Quebec
- Calgary International Airport (YYC) – Calgary, Alberta
- Edmonton International Airport (YEG) – Edmonton, Alberta
- Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) – Ottawa, Ontario
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) – Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) – Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Victoria International Airport (YYJ) – Victoria, British Columbia
- Kelowna International Airport (YLW) – Kelowna, British Columbia
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) – Quebec City, Quebec
- Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Regina International Airport (YQR) – Regina, Saskatchewan
- London International Airport (YXU) – London, Ontario
- Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT) – Thunder Bay, Ontario
- Hamilton International Airport (YHM) – Hamilton, Ontario
- Greater Sudbury Airport (YSB) – Sudbury, Ontario
- Victoria Inner Harbour Airport (YWH) – Victoria, British Columbia
- Charlottetown Airport (YYG) – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
- Fredericton International Airport (YFC) – Fredericton, New Brunswick
- Prince George Airport (YXS) – Prince George, British Columbia
- Kamloops Airport (YKA) – Kamloops, British Columbia
- Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) – Abbotsford, British Columbia
- Fort St. John Airport (YXJ) – Fort St. John, British Columbia
- Nanaimo Airport (YCD) – Nanaimo, British Columbia
- Red Deer Regional Airport (YQF) – Red Deer, Alberta
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