Winter travel at Halifax airport soars to pre-pandemic levels

Traffic at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport appears to be bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels.

Monday was getaway day for Andre Knox, who was off to the Dominican Republic for a winter vacation with his wife.

“It means a whole lot to us,” said Knox, who added his trip was supposed to happen before the pandemic. “But we had to cancel.”

In a news release in early February, the airport said passenger activity was up 189 per cent in 2022, serving 3,107,425 passengers in the year.

“We are really excited to see more people travelling through the airport,” said airport spokesperson Tiffany Chase, who also pointed out many of the people in the airport are from other parts of the Atlantic region.

“We do have quite a few connecting flights that are offered by other airlines.”

According to Chase, parking spots at the airport can be limited. In 2022, the airport reopened its Park'N Fly lot just in time for March Break to meet growing demand. The service allows sun-seekers and budget-conscious travellers to take advantage of discounted parking.

“We encourage people to use Park’N Fly,” said Chase. “Give yourself lots of time.”

However, travel delays are still common. Knox said their flight was delayed by five hours.

“I was hoping to be on the beach by 3 p.m., not leaving here by 3 p.m.”

Blair Jerrett from Maritime Travel told CTV News in an email the demand in 2023 is very high.

“In Atlantic Canada, if people have not already secured their bookings for travel south this winter, space is at a minimum, especially around popular travel dates,” said Jerrett.

Jerrett said it’s not too late to book flights and hotels, but given that the spring and March Break travel seasons are upon us, people should secure travel bookings sooner rather than later.

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