More than 2.4 million travellers passed through the airport in the first half of 2012, a 4.95-per-cent increase over the same period last year, according to statistics published by the local airport authority.
Traffic was up across all categories, with the largest relative increase recorded in international travel.
The number of international travellers flying to and from Ottawa stagnated last year, as capacity reductions by Air Canada on its Ottawa-Heathrow flights offset the addition of new flights to Mexico and the Dominican Republic by discount carriers Sunwing and Air Transat.
However, higher domestic and U.S. travel pushed traffic up 3.4 per cent over 2010 to 4.62 million passenger trips.
The airport authority is currently searching for a new president and CEO after current chief executive Paul Benoit announced in March his intention to retire.
FIRST HALF 2012 AIRPORT TRAFFIC (First half 2011 in parentheses)
Domestic: 1,704,073 (1,622,490)
U.S.: 410,287 (395,140)
International: 295,613 (278,627)
Total: 2,409,973 (2,296,257)
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