Economic impact

Pearson Airport is growing. We are now the second-largest airport in North America for international traffic. In 2018, over 47 million passengers travel through our doors, and we are expecting this number to reach 65 to 70 million by the mid-2030s. As we continue to grow, so do the economic benefits for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and all of Canada.

What is a Global Hub?

A hub airport has high levels of connecting passengers. This encourages airlines to offer more direct routes and to increase frequencies on given routes, which reduces travel costs and time. Hub airports help move people, products, goods, and services more efficiently.

As a global hub airport, we connect people and good to all corners of the globe, providing direct, daily service to more than 67% of the world’s economies. No other airport in Canada plays this role, which gives our region and country a competitive advantage.

Global Hub Economic Impact Study

The Global Hub Economic Study (PDF, 4 MB) examines how Pearson as a global hub powers international trade and facilitates economic growth by allowing Canadians and visitors to work together at home and abroad.

It considers direct, indirect and induced economic impacts by focusing on traditional factors including:

  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
  • Jobs
  • Taxes
  • International trade
  • Economic growth

In 2016, the study was updated to account for the significant passenger growth at Toronto Pearson. It provides, for the first time, data on how the jobs facilitated by the airport are distributed across Ontario and the GTA by region.

Global Hub Economic Impact Study video