Montreal airport authority shares tips for passengers ahead of busy summer – with major construction projects coming

While visits to the United States may be down this year – with that trend expected to continue – the Montreal airport is nevertheless expected to be a busy spot this summer.

And it might feel even busier with a series of major construction projects planned for the next three years.

ADM Aéroports de Montréal says it is gearing up for a bustling next few months by re-implementing measures from last summer, and also providing tips for travellers. It’s all with the goal of minimizing traffic at an airport that was simply not designed to accommodate such a large number of vehicles as there have been recently.

Some 6.8 million travellers are expected at Trudeau airport from June until the end of August.

“We would like people to be more aware of solutions that are available to them,” says Jérôme Conraud, assistant vice-president of strategy, governance and airport planning at Aéroports de Montréal.

“We’re starting to build tomorrow’s airport and the idea is really to improve our facilities, to enhance user experience, but what that means is that there is going to be impact during construction.”

Returning this summer are the west and east express alternative drop-off zones, which are served by a shuttle service that takes about five minutes. Aéroports de Montréal is recommending passengers get dropped off there to avoid any traffic headaches.

“These drop-offs are not located right in front of the terminal building, but they’re located a little bit further away,” Conraud said. “They’re connected through shuttles that are frequent and that lead you directly to the airport through dedicated roads in less than five minutes.”

ADM is also bringing back the 40-minute free parking period for most of the airport’s parking lots, which aims to limit the number of cars circling the terminal.

There will also be what the airport authority is calling virtual waiting areas for taxis and Ubers, and additional personnel to facilitate the flow of vehicles.

In terms of tips, ADM is recommending a few things for departing passengers driving to the airport, such as checking their flight status; verifying the occupancy of each parking lot; and reserving a parking space.

Travellers are advised to arrive three hours before their flight, regardless of their destination, to ensure there are no problems during the boarding process.

“If you’re prepared, come three hours in advance, because even if you’re stuck in traffic, you’re not going to get stuck in traffic for three hours, you’re not going to miss your flight,” Conraud added.

Passengers returning to Montreal can pay for their parking online on their mobile device 15 minutes before leaving Trudeau airport.

For those being picked up, ADM recommends agreeing on a meeting point beforehand, and making sure the passenger is ready to be picked up before the driver pulls up.

Last year, Aéroports de Montréal committed to investing nearly $4 billion until 2028 to improve access to the airport. The investment plans include adding parking, building a new landing stage, improving road access, connecting to the REM and adding a jetty for new satellite boarding gates.

“We know that this year, for instance, at the end of the year, we will close and eventually demolish the multi-level parking lot,” Conraud announced. “The main parking lot in front of the terminal building, we will reopen it by 2031.”

Conraud assures they remain confident at meeting their deadline.

Last year’s announcement came just a few months after a post-pandemic surge in car traffic entering Montreal-Trudeau airport caused long lineups at drop-off and pick-up areas. In some cases, passengers opted to walk the final stretch to the airport, luggage in hand.

Travellers who spoke to CityNews on Tuesday commented on the state of traffic coming to and from the Trudeau airport.

“The Montreal traffic is always extreme. Some of the worst I’ve ever seen in Canada,” said Sean, from Kingston, Ont.

“Even for tourists, it’s very, very difficult,” added Simon, a Montrealer. “My brother’s going to the USA. The only question that he was asking is just like, how do you do, how to move here in Montreal? We left like four hours just to go from downtown to be here.”