\u201cIf you look at the connectivity of Calgary to the world, you just have to look on a map and look at what it used to be and where it is now, and those lines go a lot further now,\u201d said Chris Dinsdale, the president and CEO of Calgary Airports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the same time, direct travel from Calgary to the United States declined by 22 per cent, in line with national trends.<\/p>\n
New international long-haul flights have played a significant role in this growth. <\/p>\n
Last year, the airport launched 15 new destinations<\/a> worldwide. Some of the most notable additions include Munich and Mexico City.<\/p>\n So far this year, the airport has already announced two new plans<\/a> for non-stop flights to Abu Dhabi and Sao Paolo.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll see us chasing other routes quite aggressively, and we\u2019ll see what else we can come up with,\u201d said Dinsdale.<\/p>\n Calgary\u2019s role as an economic engine<\/p>\n Economic development is one of the core values at Calgary\u2019s international airport, which recently demonstrated this in announcing<\/a>\u00a0 YYC AeroNex. <\/p>\n AeroNex is a plan with Lufthansa Technik Canada to transform Calgary\u2019s global connectivity.<\/p>\n This project is planned to generate significant economic revenue for Calgary by attracting new airlines offering long-haul flights.\u00a0<\/p>\n So far, over $300 million has been invested in the project, and it will attract skilled professionals to enhance training, provide education across a variety of professions, and help build a sustainable network of high-value jobs.<\/p>\n The airport\u2019s most recent economic study<\/a> reports that YYC supported 42,000 full-time jobs, generating more than $2.9 billion in wages and nearly $6.5 billion in gross domestic product, or GDP.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have a direct route, investments do come, companies do come, and our companies go out [to new destinations], tourism does come in both ways,\u201d said Dinsdale.<\/p>\n Challenges and competition<\/p>\n It is not easy to attract new airlines with new routes. <\/p>\n Although Calgary is one of the largest cities in Canada, it still needs to compete with other major cities like Toronto and Vancouver.<\/p>\n According to Dinsdale, many factors make Calgary an attractive new destination.<\/p>\n Calgary is one of the fastest-growing<\/a> cities in Canada. Airlines look at a city\u2019s population and diversity as indicators of where residents want to travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city also has one of the highest GDP\u2019s<\/a> across the country. <\/p>\n Calgary has the highest head <\/a>office-to-population<\/a>\u00a0ratio in Canada, a selling point in negotiations for new routes. Airlines want to open offices in a booming economy where other airlines have been successful.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are also many tourism opportunities, such as the Rocky Mountains.<\/p>\n \u201cWe stand out really well compared to our peers,\u201d said Dinsdale. \u201cI mean, when we compare ourselves to Vancouver, we can really hold our own.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the airport continues to expand its international connections by targeting six new destinations across East Asia and Europe. <\/p>\n Expanding global connectivity is cementing YYC International as a destination in its own right, rather than a regional stopover.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Photo-2_-plane-window-photo.jpeg\")
View of the control tower at Calgary International Airport from inside a plane. PHOTO: JULIA FINOT<\/p>\n