Canadians paying significantly more for airfares as summer ticket prices jump

A new report says travellers are paying significantly more to fly within Canada this summer compared with last year.

The Flight Centre Travel Group says ticket prices for domestic flights in July through September rose 14 per cent on average over the past 12 months.

Chris Lynes, who heads the Australia-based travel agency’s operation in Canada, says plateauing seat capacity and less competition help explain the trend, which is especially noticeable on short-haul flights.

Several Canadian airlines have run into plane delivery delays caused by production problems at aircraft maker Boeing Co., constricting their ability to grow their fleets.

Meanwhile, the past 13 months brought more industry consolidation as discount carriers Lynx Air and Swoop disappeared from the skies and WestJet bought Sunwing Airlines — developments that helped prompt a Competition Bureau study last month.

However, Porter Airlines is adding on two planes per month, part of a rapid expansion plan that injects a dose of competition into the market.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2024.