1st commercial flights take off as Montréal Metropolitan Airport opens on South Shore

For the first time in years, commercial passengers checked in, dropped off bags and boarded flights from Longueuil.

This as a new passenger terminal at the Montréal Metropolitan Airport in Saint-Hubert opened Monday, marking the launch of what officials hope will become a major new gateway for travellers in Greater Montreal.

The 21,000-square-metre terminal marks the return of scheduled commercial service to the airport, which once served as Montreal’s primary aviation hub before commercial flights were transferred to Dorval in 1940.

Airport officials say the facility was designed to accommodate up to four million passengers annually. The terminal features nine gates, 900 seats and two baggage carousels.

Porter Airlines and Pascan Aviation are the first carriers operating from the terminal, offering flights to destinations across Canada. Thirty flights are expected to depart daily, with up to 12 destinations initially available.

Michael Deluce, CEO of Porter Airlines, said, “This project is an airport that is extremely conveniently located. We’ve already started selling tickets or far exceeding our expectations. This airport will be a success.”

“You don’t have to leave now two hours to get onto your flight,” Deluce added. “You can conveniently get here 25 minutes before your flight and feel comfortable getting on it.”

Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier and Quebec Tourism Minister Amélie Dionne were also among those on hand for Monday’s inauguration.

The airport’s first major departure was Porter flight 181 to Vancouver, which received a traditional water salute shortly before 9 a.m. Other flights throughout the day connected passengers to destinations across Quebec as staff and airline partners closely monitored the airport’s first day of operations.

Airport officials say the new terminal could make travelling easier for more than three million Quebecers living in Montreal, Montérégie and the Eastern Townships by bringing commercial flights closer to home. 

Charles Roberge, president and CEO of Montréal Metropolitan Airport, said, “As a secondary airport in the Greater Montreal area, we have smaller aircraft and everybody aircraft, point-to-point destination, very easy to access.”

“Boarding time is 15-20 minutes,” Roberge added. “If you see the parking lot that are about 25 meters from the security, it’s going to be a very easy airport to travel to.”

An express shuttle service, known as the METbus, will connect the Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke métro station with the airport.

Some of first passengers to take off from the airport told CityNews that they appreciated the new airport’s convenience.

Michael Cassin, said, “Montreal is getting impossible to get into now. All the construction there is trying to do is ridiculous. This is overdue.”

Catherine Laporte said the airport was, “Very large, spacious and easy to access. It’s very beautiful.”

While Patrick Montpetit appreciated the easy of access, “There’s much less traffic, especially here.”

“I just saw there was a lot of flights here; YUL is a bit packed,” said Raj Joshi.

Construction of $450-million privately-funded project began in August 2023 and took about three years to complete after several delays pushed back its original opening date.

The airport is expected to see about 30 daily departures to destinations across Canada. While the airport has only just opened, officials say they’re already looking to expand.