Over a third of Canadian residents have been challenged by high costs of domestic flights, and many would like to see increased flight options in their region to support population growth, immigration, as well as tourism.
Only a minority of Canadians (16%) have experienced travel challenges in the past year due to limited in-region flight availability, or limited national direct flight options (16%). With fewer options have come higher costs, and nearly four in ten Canadians (38%) told us they have experienced challenges due to the high cost of domestic travel in the past year.
The majority of the population across the country has not, however, experienced these challenges, with 84% indicating they have not have challenges with available flights within either their region or within the country, and six-in-ten indicating they have not felt the pressure of high costs of domestic flights. Cost of flights appears to be affecting those in BC and the North (50%) and Prairies (46%) to a greater extent than in other parts of the country. Those in Quebec and Ontario are least likely to feel any of these three travel challenges.
Increased Flight Options Are Needed
When we asked Canadians for their opinions concerning the need for increased flight options in their respective regions, between three-in-ten and half feel there is a need for increased air travel options to support various types of economic indicators. Across metrics, generally Atlantic Canadians are more likely than those living in most other parts of the country to say that increased flight options are needed to support tourism and attract and retain international students, while those in BC / North and the Prairie provinces clearly also feel there is a need for increased flight options to their parts of the country.
Half of Canadian residents would be more likely to travel by air within their region if better flight options were available (48%).
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between January 8 and 12, 2024 with 1,231 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Groupâs online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution, and data tables are available upon request.
The questions asked were:
Personally, have you experienced travel challenges within the past year…?
Due to limited availability of direct flight options within Canada
Due to limited availability of direct flight options within your region
Due to high costs of domestic flights within Canada
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about air travel…?
Increased flight options within my region are needed
Increased flight options are needed to support population growth
Increased flight options are needed to support immigration
Increased flight options are needed to attract and retain international students
Increased flight options are needed to support tourism in my region I would be more likely to travel within my region if better flight options were available
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca or Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com.
Narrative Research is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies.
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