Metro Vancouver airports are preparing for the arrival of world leaders, celebrities and the ultrarich in their private jets as they descend for the FIFA World Cup, which starts next month.
Andy Margolis, the chief operations officer of Vancouver International Airport, is expecting a spike from the 15 to 25 private planes that typically arrive at YVR daily.
But he says the influx is unlikely to compare to the 181 private planes that landed on one day during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Vancouver in December 2024.
"(The World Cup) is over a number-of-weeks period. I'm not anticipating the numbers on the days either side of the games here to get anywhere near Taylor Swift. So it's all within our manageable capacity."
Vancouver is hosting seven matches in June and July.
Private planes arriving at YVR must book their landing time and work with one of three specialty companies that have bases at the airport and advertise perks like luxury hangars and pilot lounges.
Margolis said it's difficult to know how many private planes will be landing in Vancouver for the World Cup because most don't book a slot until closer to their planned arrival.
The Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, B.C., accepts landings on a first-come first-serve basis, rather than having to book a specific landing time. It's also preparing for an increase in private jets for the tournament.
Julia Rieberger, administrative manager for the airport operator Alpha Aviation, said they're putting together contingency plans for additional plane parking and looking into the option of providing helicopter transfers into Vancouver if visitors want to avoid the 30-kilometre drive to BC Place stadium.
"We've received quite a few inquiries. We've got charter companies and private operators that are asking about our pricing, and what fuel supply we have, and if we have customs clearance, and just ticking all the boxes of whether or not we are a viable entryway to Vancouver," she said.
"So we've had a lot of inquiries, but in terms of solid booking, that won't happen likely until 24 to 48 hours out."
Rieberger said Boundary Bay usually sees a "handful" of private planes a week.
Like Margolis, she's not expecting a Swift-level influx.
"Taylor Swift was sort of the benchmark for private aircraft coming into Vancouver," she said.
Nav Canada, which provides the country's air traffic services, said it has been planning for this summer's "demand profile" for well over a year, "including for periods of heightened seasonal demand and major international events hosted in Canada."
"Nav Canada has a proven track record of delivering safe and efficient services during major international events — the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the 2018 G7 Summit in Charlevoix, the 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis, and the Canadian Grand Prix in Montréal year after year," it said in a statement.
"Our planning for this summer draws directly on the protocols and lessons learned from those events, including co-ordination with airlines, airport authorities, and area airports where overflow business and general aviation traffic typically diverts."
Margolis said a team at the airport has been planning for FIFA and the World Cup games since 2022.
As for soccer fans not in the private-plane tax bracket, Margolis said the number of commercial flights landing in Vancouver is not changing, but planes are expected to be full.
During summer, the airport sees an average of 80,000 passengers a day.
"Our forecasts are between five and 10 per cent increase in passenger numbers on any day. So, as far as our system is concerned, that's not a huge amount of increase. It'll just be travellers on those planes will be coming for FIFA-related reasons, rather than other reasons."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
