Ruth Haines
Victoria International Airport (IATA: YYJ, ICAO: CYYJ) is an airport serving Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) north-northwest of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula. The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority and is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada, staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). YYJ has been rated one of the top ten most-loved airports in the world by CNN Travel and is an essential air link to Victoria and other southern Vancouver Island communities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Name | Victoria International Airport |
| Location | Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada |
| Airport Codes | IATA: YYJ, ICAO: CYYJ |
| Time Zone | America/Vancouver (GMT -7:00) |
| Phone | +1 (250) 953 7500 |
| Fax | +1 (250) 953 7509 |
| Number of Passengers (2024) | 1,872,033 |
| Aircraft Movements (2024) | 95,615 |
| Busiest Route | Vancouver International Airport (YVR) |
| International Routes | Seattle (SEA), Seasonal: Mexico, Las Vegas |
| Domestic Routes | Ottawa (YOW), Toronto (YYZ), Montreal (YUL, summer only), Calgary (YYC), Edmonton (YEG), and smaller cities in British Columbia and Yukon |
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What You'll Learn
Victoria International Airport's IATA and ICAO codes
Victoria International Airport, located on the Saanich Peninsula, serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The airport is situated 12 nautical miles (22 km or 14 miles) north-northwest of Victoria, with the majority of the airport, including the passenger terminal, in North Saanich. The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority.
The airport's IATA code is YYJ. IATA stands for International Air Transport Association. This code is a three-letter code that acts as a unique identifier for airports around the world. The YYJ code is used by airlines and travel agents for ticketing and scheduling computer systems.
The ICAO code for Victoria International Airport is CYYJ. ICAO stands for International Civil Aviation Organization. This is a four-letter code that is used to identify airports and to ensure that they do not share the same code with another airport. ICAO codes are used by pilots and air traffic controllers for location and flight plan purposes.
Victoria International Airport is a busy airport, serving almost 2 million passengers per year. It is the 11th busiest airport in Canada and the third busiest in British Columbia. The airport offers non-stop daily flights to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), as well as international service to Seattle (SEA) and domestic service within Canada to Ottawa (YOW), Toronto (YYZ), Montreal (YUL—summer only), Calgary (YYC), and Edmonton (YEG). Seasonal flights are also offered to several Mexican resort destinations.
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The airport's location and history
Victoria International Airport (IATA: YYJ, ICAO: CYYJ) is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) north-northwest of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula. The airport is situated beside Patricia Bay, which proved to be an excellent location for the prevalence of flying boats at the time. The bulk of the airport, including the passenger terminal, is in North Saanich, with a small portion of the airfield extending into Sidney.
The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority, which was given operational control in 1997 as part of a broad-scale restructuring of airports across Canada. The Victoria Airport Authority has since undertaken renovations and expansions to meet passenger needs, including rebuilding the airside hold room and arrivals rotunda in 2002 and completing a new departures area in 2005.
The airport's history dates back to the late 1930s when construction began on runways and terminals, and approximately 43.9 hectares of foreshore was filled to create a wartime seaplane base just south of W̱SIKEM, a W̱SÁNEĆ village. The airport was originally known as Victoria (Patricia Bay) Airport when regular service began in 1943 by Trans-Canada Airlines (later Air Canada). In 1959, the airport was renamed Victoria International Airport.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). YYJ does not have United States customs and border preclearance, so many passengers fly first to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which offers this facility. Victoria International Airport is the 11th busiest airport in Canada, serving almost 2 million passengers per year. It is an essential air link to Victoria and other southern Vancouver Island communities, providing a safe, secure, sustainable, and efficient gateway to the region.
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Airlines that fly from Victoria International Airport
Victoria International Airport, also known by the airport code YYJ, is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is an international airport with both international and domestic routes.
YYJ is the 11th busiest airport in Canada, serving almost 2 million passengers per year. The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority and provides a safe, secure, sustainable, and efficient airport that connects Greater Victoria with the world.
There are 8 airlines that fly to Victoria from 16 airports around the world, as of July 2025. These airlines include WestJet, Pacific Coastal Airlines, and Air Canada, which operate most flights to Victoria. Other airlines that fly from Victoria International Airport include Alaska Airlines, which offers a route to Newark Liberty International Airport, and Delta Airlines, which previously operated three daily flights to Seattle until September 2019.
In addition to these airlines, seasonal scheduled flights by WestJet connect Victoria to tourist destinations in Mexico and Las Vegas. For the Summer 2017 season, Air Canada Rouge operated wide-body Boeing 767s on its daily flights to Toronto. Victoria International Airport also has non-stop daily flights to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which is a major airport serving many global routes. The airport also offers non-stop international service to Seattle (SEA) and domestic services to several cities in Canada, including Ottawa (YOW), Toronto (YYZ), Montreal (YUL, summer only), Calgary (YYC), and Edmonton (YEG).
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Destinations from the airport, including international and domestic
Victoria International Airport, with the airport code YYJ, is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is an essential link to Victoria and other southern Vancouver Island communities. The airport is 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) north-northwest of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula, with the bulk of the airport in North Saanich and a small portion extending into Sidney.
YYJ has many non-stop daily flights to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which is a major airport serving many global routes. It also has non-stop international service to Seattle (SEA).
Domestic Destinations
Victoria International Airport also serves several domestic destinations within Canada, including:
- Ottawa (YOW)
- Toronto (YYZ)
- Montreal (YUL, summer only)
- Calgary (YYC)
- Edmonton (YEG)
- Smaller cities in British Columbia and Yukon
International Destinations
In addition to its domestic routes, Victoria International Airport offers flights to several international destinations, including:
- Seasonal (late fall to early spring) non-stop service to several Mexican resort destinations.
- Tourist destinations in Las Vegas and Mexico via seasonal scheduled flights by WestJet.
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The airport's ranking in Canada
Victoria International Airport, located in British Columbia, Canada, has the airport codes YYJ (IATA) and CYYJ (ICAO). The airport is situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is an important transport link for the region.
Airports in Canada: Ranked
A variety of factors contribute to airport rankings, including passenger traffic, aircraft movements, dining facilities, staff service, and cleanliness. Here is a look at how some of Canada's airports rank in these categories:
Passenger Traffic and Aircraft Movements: Toronto–Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport have consistently been the two busiest airports in Canada since 2010. Toronto–Pearson's location within the most populous metropolitan region of Canada solidifies its top ranking. Vancouver International benefits from its west coast location, serving as a hub for flights to Asia and Oceania. Calgary International Airport is the busiest in Alberta and the fourth busiest in all of Canada, owing to the region's petroleum and tourism industries. Montréal-Trudeau International Airport has also experienced significant growth, now serving over 22 million passengers annually, with nearly 16 million on international flights.
Customer Satisfaction: In the Skytrax 2025 World Airport Awards, Vancouver International Airport ranked 13th in the world and first in North America for 2025, based on customer satisfaction. Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport (YUL) was recognised for having the best airport staff service in North America for the third time. Vancouver’s YVR came in second for staff service, while also being named the best airport in North America for the 14th time in 16 years.
Dining and Lounges: Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport ranked as the best airport in Canada, scoring 72 out of 100. It features a lounge and five dining options, and has received positive reviews on Google. Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, which ranked second-best in Canada, also offers a variety of dining options with 12 airlines operating and 34 direct destinations for 1.1 million annual passengers.
Efficiency and Awards: Victoria International Airport (YYJ) has been recognised for its efficiency and service, winning multiple awards, including being rated one of the top ten most-loved airports in the world by CNN Travel, Best Regional Airport (North America) by Airports Council International (ACI), and Most Efficient Airport with under 5 Million Passengers in North America.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport code for Victoria International Airport is YYJ.
The airport is 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) north-northwest of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula, with the bulk of the airport in North Saanich.
Victoria International Airport is the 11th busiest airport in Canada, serving almost 2 million passengers per year.
The airport offers non-stop flights to Vancouver, Seattle, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton. It also has seasonal flights to several Mexican resort destinations.
