YVR seeing increased cargo traffic amid uncertainty in Middle East, CEO says

The war in Iran has impacted air travel in myriad ways; the price of fuel has gone up, and carriers have been forced to reroute planes to avoid the conflict zone.

It's not only passenger airlines that have been affected, however. Those that deal primarily in cargo have also needed to adjust to the uncertainty in the region.

According to YVR President and CEO Tamara Vrooman,  many have looked to Vancouver as a safe alternative to reach the global market.

"What we always say is that travel and trade, they're like water — they get blocked one way, they find another way," Vrooman said during an address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, "and that's what we're seeing in the gulf."

She went on to cite a number of colleagues and cargo shippers who told her traffic through YVR has "virtually double[d] over the course of seven to ten days."

"Why is that?" Vrooman continued. "A lot of Asia cargo used to go through the Persian Gulf into the region and connect to Europe now is finding a safer and more secure passage from Southeast Asia through YVR connecting not only to other points in North America, but as a bridge to Europe."

Even before war broke out, Vrooman and her team had been developing plans to increase the volume of cargo that passes through YVR. She said the goal is to "double" it over the next five years.

"In so doing, we will continue to contribute jobs, billions of dollars in prosperity and economic growth, and create a global hub in cargo that is equal to the global hub reputation that we have for passengers," Vrooman declared, noting that, "it's difficult for businesses to grow in our region without access to an efficient, digitized, smart, reliable cargo airport."

In 2025, a record-high 365,000 tonnes of goods moved through YVR, a 7.4% increase over the year before.