Canadian Rockies International Airport Reaches New Heights
The Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) remains one of Cranbrook’s most important economic drivers, offering reliable service, strong connectivity, and essential support for the region’s workforce, visitors, and business community.
As the airport continues to grow, it underscores Cranbrook’s role as a connected and accessible hub for the Kootenays.
A Record-Setting 2025
In 2025, YXC recorded its strongest year since the pandemic with more than 176,000 passenger movements, reflecting steady demand for both leisure and business travel. While the airport’s pre-pandemic peak reached approximately 180,000 passenger movements, the 2025 results demonstrate that passenger traffic has nearly returned to those levels, highlighting the airport’s continued importance to regional connectivity and economic activity.
Within that total, June was a particularly strong month, with just under 15,000 passenger movements, the highest June the airport has recorded.
Expanding Connections Across Western Canada
YXC is served by three major carriers offering direct flights to key destinations:
• WestJet – Calgary and Vancouver
• Air Canada – Calgary and Vancouver
• Pacific Coastal Airlines – Kelowna
These routes provide convenient access to major travel hubs, supporting resident travel, visitor experiences, and business mobility throughout the region while enabling easy connections to national and international destinations.
To support this growth, YXC is making upgrades to improve the passenger experience. Planned terminal improvements include an expanded passenger hold room and new washroom facilities, designed to make travel more comfortable, accessible, and efficient as traffic volume increases.
The airport is also expanding and repaving its parking areas to improve access and increase capacity for passengers and visitors. These upgrades will help ensure the airport remains reliable, and convenient for the community it serves. All of these great things are happening at the airport – an entirely self-sustaining operation funding its own capital and not drawing a penny from municipal tax revenue.
“It is a privilege to be part of the continued success of YXC. Aviation is a turbulent industry to work in, never more so that over these past few years and I’m thrilled that the continued loyalty and utilization of this key asset has enabled us to smooth out the bumps and continue realizing our potential for the region,” says Tristen Chernove, Airport Manager for the Canadian Rockies International Airport.
Sustainability also remains an important focus. Electric vehicle charging stations installed at the airport continue to be well used and well received, providing added convenience for travelers while supporting low emission transportation across the Kootenays.
On the business side, YXC is seeing continued private sector investment. The sale of the former Bid Air hangar to Decosse Customs supports increased aviation activity and reinforces the airport’s role as a regional hub for logistics and specialized services. Streamline Airways is also completed construction of a new hangar, adding space for aircraft storage, maintenance, and operations.
Together, these developments highlight YXC’s ongoing role as a key transportation link and economic driver for the region, supporting travelers today while preparing for future growth.
A Reliable Gateway for a Growing Community
The airport’s strong performance reflects more than just travel activity. YXC plays a crucial role in supporting mobility for workers, enabling efficient business travel, strengthening tourism, and connecting Cranbrook to broader provincial and national networks. Continued growth in passenger movements enhances the airport’s ability to support the region’s evolving needs.
As YXC continues its momentum in 2026, it remains a vital asset for a growing and increasingly connected Cranbrook, supporting opportunity, accessibility, and regional resilience for years to come.