Travelers have a convenient new way to fly to Montreal.
Porter Airlines and Canadian regional carrier Pascan Aviation on Monday inaugurated a new secondary airport in the Montreal area: the MET-Montreal Metropolitan Airport (YHU), located some 10 miles east of downtown Montreal.
Porter CEO Michael Deluce described the opening as a “significant milestone” for the Toronto-based carrier.
It should give travelers flying to and from Montreal a quieter alternative to the region’s largest gateway, Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL).
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“Being the first airline to serve two Montreal airports, Porter’s giving travelers greater flexibility,” Deluce said.
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What to know about the new Montreal airport
The new airport will serve as a complement, of sorts, to the far larger Montreal-Trudeau airport, which is a major hub for Porter’s top competitor, Air Canada. This opening marks the first time in more than two decades that Canada’s second-largest city has had two commercial airports; some travelers may remember that commercial flights to the former Montreal Mirabel International Airport (YMX) ceased in 2004.
Routes from YHU
Porter will use a mix of De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400 and Embraer E195-E2 aircraft to offer nonstop flights to 11 destinations across Canada from YHU by June 22, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. Destination airports include:
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- Calgary International Airport (YYC)
- Charlottetown Alexander B. Campbell Airport (YYG)
- Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
- John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM)
- Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International Airport (YQM)
- St. John’s International Airport (YYT)
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
- Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)
Pascan, the Canadian regional carrier, serves another four destinations from YHU.
No international flights at YHU
One thing that’s missing at the new airport? International flights.
As of now, the operator of Montreal’s main airport has an “exclusivity clause” in its lease that bars international flights from any nearby secondary airports — including YHU.
So, for now, don’t expect to see any nonstop flight from the U.S. to the new terminal.
But Porter and the operator of the new airport terminal want to see those restrictions changed in the future.
“As the community uses this airport — as it’s loved by the community — if local community politicians and [the airport operator] want us to look at international flights, it’s something we’ll look at very closely,” Deluce said.
A lounge-like terminal
The highlight of YHU is its new terminal. The unassuming building is modern, spacious and bright — the opposite of YUL’s chaotic, crowded atmosphere.
The single-story building features an airy, double-height lobby where travelers can check-in and drop off bags. It is not a terminal that seeks a “grand gesture” like the soaring, jet-age main terminal at Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Rather, it’s intuitive and pleasant for travelers.
“A grand gesture just doesn’t come across,” David Scott, the principal-in-charge of design at Scott Associates Architects Inc. (which designed the terminal), said while sitting in the postsecurity departures lounge. “The terminal has to be simple and intuitive.”
The YHU terminal is simple and intuitive, yet subtle. From the check-in area, travelers have just one way to walk: toward security. The corridor then leads them to a giant image of the R-100 airship that flew from the U.K. to Montreal in 1930 and eventually into the departures lounge.
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Both Deluce and Scott are clear in their messaging: The waiting area is a “lounge.” The large, open space is brightly lit and offers a variety of seating types and views of the ramp from which flights depart. And, as was repeatedly mentioned, the space has 900 power outlets so travelers can charge their devices before jetting off.
It’s similar to the terminal at Paine Field (PAE) north of Seattle, but with less of a granite-and-wood Pacific Northwest vibe and more of a contemporary airline lounge atmosphere.
The lounge space builds on and improves upon the idea Scott tested at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) with the terminal he designed for Porter in 2010.
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Of course, unlike a true airport lounge, there are no complimentary food or drinks; a cafe is open, and a sit-down restaurant is under construction. There is also a newsstand with the basic sundries travelers may need for their trip.
Looking ahead
Montreal Metropolitan is designed to accommodate 4 million annual travelers — an ambitious number for an entirely new terminal. Still, as nice as it is, it lacks the convenience of Porter’s Billy Bishop base in Toronto, which itself was an experiment when the airline launched two decades ago.
Advocates of the new YHU highlighted how a city of Montreal’s size can surely support a second commercial airport, and noted that the airport is no further from downtown than YUL (just in the opposite direction).
Plus, YHU’s location on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, officials noted, makes it more convenient to access for around half of the region’s population.
“For Montrealers and their visitors, [YHU] is a huge asset,” Simon-Pierre Diamond, the interim president of the YHU airport authority, said.
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Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
