Travelers destined for Montreal
will soon have more choice in who and where they fly with. Montreal Saint Hubert Longieul Airport is undergoing extensive refurbishment, including a new terminal and a new name since early last year: Montreal Metropolitan Airport.

An elevated airport experience for Montreal travelers

Montreal, the second-largest city in Canada and the fourth-largest French-speaking city in the world (after Paris, Kinshasa, and Abidjan), has long seen the monopoly of (YUL) result in high airfares and limited choice. Due to government regulations, the Canadian Government has required all international routes to arrive or depart from Montreal. However, this restriction isn’t in place for domestic flights, which is where Montreal Metropolitan Airport steps in.

Porter Airlines has already committed to Montreal Metropolitan Airport (YHU). As Flytrippers noted, Montreal is one of only a few major cities in North America without a secondary airport. (another notable mention is Atlanta).

A partnership between Montreal Metropolitan Airport, Porter Airlines
, and the Canada Infrastructure Bank has invested CA $200 ($140) million in the airport’s redevelopment. Construction of the new facilities is around 70% completed, including a new terminal, which is expected to open in late 2025.

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Ambitious route plans

As already noted, outdated government regulations have gate-locked all international services from Montreal to Trudeau (YUL). The only other suitable option is across the border at Plattsburg International Airport (PBG), which has several low-cost services to Florida.

YHU Montreal Metropolitan Airport Saint Hubert 6

Photo: MET – Aéroport métropolitain de Montréal 

According to the airport’s website, it expects 25 new routes to take off once it relaunches, spanning cities across Canada, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax, and Saint John. The airport’s only current operator is Pascan Aviation, which offers only regional flights across Quebec and New Brunswick.

Comparing Montreal Metropolitan to that of Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ), also known as Toronto Island Airport, the airport hopes to lure in business travelers and offer an elevated airport experience. While YHU won’t be quite as close to the city center as YTZ, the airport has advertised it will provide an express shuttle to downtown Montreal (likely for a fee).

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What’s expected from passengers inside Montreal Metropolitan Airport?

The new surface area of the terminal will be 225,000 feet, with nine gates and a range of retail stores and restaurants. An increase in the overall floor plan and capacity will see up to four million passengers pass through its doors a year. If and when it reaches full capacity, this would place YHU as the second busiest airport in Quebec, and for context, as stressed by Flytrippers, it would be double that of its current operations at Toronto City (YTZ).

Porter Airlines Embraer E195-E2 Landing in Phoenix

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

While it’s yet to be seen if other Canadian carriers, Air Canada
, WestJet
, or Flair
, will feature at the airport, there will be plenty of capacity for new entrants to the market, albeit domestically.

Porter, an airline that was completely grounded during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw its fortunes turn around with the delivery of the Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. This has catapulted Porter to be one of the leading airlines in the country, taking on its biggest competition on trans-continental routes. Its expansion to new markets, such as Canada’s west, has seen Air Canada and Westjet take note. The airline has received over 40 new aircraft, with another firm ten on order, and purchase rights for 25 more.

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