Vancouver International Airport moves toward privatization and launches new Wi‑Fi

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the first Canadian airport to enter the federal privatization plan, with the possibility for First Nations investors to hold up to a 20% stake while the Government of Canada keeps ownership of the land, buildings, facilities and infrastructure.

YVR reported a ground lease payment of $74 million in the 2024 fiscal year, rising to $78 million in 2025, and generated $718 million in operating revenue against $674 million in expenses for 2025, leaving an operating surplus of $45 million; the airport also recorded a $50.4 million overall deficit, $73.3 million in write‑downs and a $62 million write‑down on its ground transportation facility in 2025. In addition, YVR signed a two‑year agreement with Purple to provide guest Wi‑Fi, leveraging Purple’s network that serves nearly 500 million users across 80,000 venues in 89 countries.