Gander International Airport is “slowly regaining” its footing, but airport authority president and CEO Reg Wright wishes the pandemic recovery was quicker.

The airport’s 2023 performance report was released at this week’s annual general meeting.

Total revenue for 2023 reached $8.4 million, a 28 per cent increase over the previous year, but still short of the $10.4 million reported in 2019.

Passenger numbers for 2023 stood at 104,533, just two-thirds of that in 2019, largely due to a scarcity of seats, according to Wright.

Domestic flight landings were up five per cent over the previous year, but were just 57 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers. Demand is strong, says Wright, adding the airport has been unable to get seat capacity back.

“Pretty frustrating, that’s for sure,” says Wright. “That’s impeded by a host of things, but most notable would be a fairly acute pilot shortage that we’re still all navigating in our industry.”

That, as well as some “airline consolidation,” also had an impact on service, says Wright.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Steve Crocker says the province is working with the province’s airport authorities to attract more routes and carriers, but he says ultimately increasing air traffic is the work of the authorities.

“We work strongly and closely with our airport authorities,” says Crocker, citing the recent St. John’s-UK route, “which I might add is doing extremely well.”

He says while traffic is up, one of the lagging components is trans-border and international travel.