CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — As Canadian travel to the U.S. decreases, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport reported strong passenger traffic over the recent Easter weekend.
Pascal Cohen, NFTA's Senior Manager of Aviation Marketing, said year‑to‑date numbers are up roughly 5% compared to last year, with more than 30,000 additional travelers passing through the airport. Last year, the airport surpassed 5 million passengers for the second time in about a decade, including nearly one million Canadians.
"They're not just a very important customer, they're our neighbors, our friends, our best friends," Cohen said.
Despite the headlines, Cohen notes Buffalo hasn't felt a pinch. Airlines have already added 75,000 new seats for the next six months.
"We expect there's going to be an impact from the geopolitical situation," Cohen added. "But so far, we're actually doing really well in '25."
Still, local tourism leaders acknowledge the warning signs. Visit Buffalo Niagara reports March border crossings from Canada were down nearly 17% year‑over‑year.
John Percy, CEO and President of Destination Niagara USA, recently told 7 News that a significant decline in Canadian flyers could lead airlines to reduce seats in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls markets.
"If we start losing that number, we could start losing seats in and out of our airports," Percy said. "That's concerning."
Cohen believes any decline will be partially offset by increased local travel, but cautions that the full impact remains to be seen. Both he and Percy say they're monitoring developments closely.
"We have to keep our fingers crossed," Cohen said. "We're going to see some impacts for sure. We just don't know what the extent is going to be."
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