Traffic in and out of Pearson (YYZ) Toronto like all airports is down considerably, but there are still quite a number of flights coming and going daily. Some would be cargo, but not all....is there that much 'essential' travel and would we be surprised to learn how many people are actually travelling for what ever reason these days?
The number of flights is obviously a fraction of the pre-Covid volume. Without going online to review flight statistics, I can also confirm that fact anecdotally, since our house is near one of the western flight paths for the main east-west runways at Toronto Pearson. We usually hear planes overhead on a regular basis. The last time I can remember actually hearing aircraft overhead was on May 10th, when the Snowbirds flew over on their way to Hamilton and points west.
So there is definitely a significant reduction. Even Pearson reported significant drops in volumes as early as the end of the first quarter 2020, compared to 2019. When the second quarter results come out, the real impact will be clearer.
From Greater Toronto Airports Authority TORONTO, May 12, 2020 /CNW/ – The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (“GTAA”) today reported its financial and operating res…
canadianaviationnews.wordpress.com
Pearson (YYZ) is the largest air hub in the country and one of the biggest on the continent, so yes, there will still be a significant volume of flights. Most people don't realize the large volume of cargo flights, including express mail, whether for Canada Post, UPS or FedEx. Domestic travel is certainly way down, with some routes shut down, but there are still regular flights to major cities. The same applies to US and international flights. I understand some of those must be maintained on at least a minimal level in order to retain the landing rights in the other country.
None of that means that these flights are full. Some may be mostly empty, but there are still flights. Also, Pearson is one of only four airports in Canada authorized under the emergency regulations to actually accept non-US international flights. So some flights that might have landed elsewhere before are now landing at Pearson.