Passenger traffic in October saw an increase from September marking the fourth consecutive highest month since the pandemic began in March 2020; passenger levels remain down over 54% from 2019 levels. A passenger movement comparison:
| Month | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| March | 18,550 | 9,531 | 1,479 |
| April | 16,842 | 63 | 1,334 |
| May | 17,364 | 69 | 1,616 |
| June | 17,331 | 440 | 2,253 |
| July | 18,800 | 2,112 | 4,250 |
| August | 20,812 | 3,170 | 6,114 |
| September | 16,900 | 2,798 | 6,551 |
| October | 18,697 | 2,744 | 8,593 |
Porter returned to service in Sault Ste. Marie in October. Currently Porter is providing 2 daily flights Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Friday with one flight on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Bearskin Airlines provides 2 daily flights Sunday, 5 flights daily Monday and Friday; and 6 flights Tuesday to Thursday for a total of 30 flights per week. Air Canada Express provides three flights daily.
Terry Bos, SSMADC President & CEO stated: “It was nice to see the increase in traffic in October as stimulated by the return of Porter service to the market. Airlines are now making adjustments to schedules to match the passenger demand during certain days of the week or month, at this time it will be the market that will dictate if more flights are added or reduced. There has been no noticeable return of business travel at this time, which is very concerning for future continued growth.”
