Approximately seven million people are expected to use Montreal-Trudeau Airport over the next three months, a record high.
Passengers are urged to plan ahead as there are some tips to avoid further delays.
“Last summer, passenger numbers were around 2 million a month. This year, it will be around 2.2 million. [million]”This is a significant increase,” said Anne-Sophie Hamel, spokesperson for Aéroports de Montréal (ADM).
Passenger Ines Idrissi said she always arrives at the airport with a few hours to spare, perhaps to avoid congested roads and airport traffic.
“It gets even more frustrating because if you don't come early you'll have to wait hours more to catch the next flight,” she told CTV News.
John Loxton, visiting from Brisbane, Australia, said he tries to avoid getting stuck in rush-hour traffic.
“We got there about four hours early,” he said. “We didn't want to get stuck in traffic on the highway coming out of Montreal.”
Passengers inside Montreal airport on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Laurence Brisson Dubreuil/CTV News)
Hamel said passengers should prepare for further delays in June, July and August.
“It will be a little difficult to operate at the airport at times, especially during peak hours between 2pm and 8pm,” she said.
She recommends arriving at the airport at least three hours before your scheduled flight and planning ahead using available technology, such as the YUL Express app, which allows passengers to schedule their access times for security checkpoints and stay updated on flight information.
Hamel said Montreal International Airport is experiencing the greatest growth of any major airport in Canada.
“That means we have great air service, we have great destinations, we allow Montrealers to travel, see the world, see their families, we get tourists here, and that's good for the city's economic growth,” she said.
While ADM sees the surge in passenger numbers as a positive, aviation expert John Gradek says it's not all positive.
“It would cost about $10 billion to bring Montreal airport up to the right size and capacity to meet demand,” said Gradek, a lecturer and coordinator of McGill University's aviation management program.
ADM said it has taken additional steps this summer to limit traffic to the airport and has established two drop-off locations: the “Express West” drop-off location is in Lot 4 and the “Express East” drop-off location is near Highway 520.
Upon arrival, passengers can take an airport shuttle bus to the terminal within five minutes.
