Montreal travelers now have a second commercial airport option, with Porter Airlines launching regular service Monday from the revamped St-Hubert airport on the city’s South Shore — about 20 kilometres from downtown and, for roughly half the Montreal area’s population, actually closer than Trudeau International.
The newly built terminal at Montreal Metropolitan Airport in Longueuil opened with a water cannon salute and a ceremony marking the airport’s transformation from a mostly cargo operation — founded in 1927 — into a full commercial hub. Porter is launching 138 weekly flights to 11 Canadian destinations including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto.
The numbers Porter is throwing around are ambitious. The airport has capacity for four million annual passengers, and the carrier is predicting it could crack Canada’s top 10 busiest airports within two years. CEO Michael Deluce said bookings have already exceeded expectations.
The price gap is already showing up at the gate. One passenger on Monday’s inaugural Vancouver flight said she chose St-Hubert after finding a promotional fare roughly $500 cheaper than the equivalent flight from Trudeau.
Why It Matters: A second commercial airport in a major market almost always means more competition and lower fares — at least on routes where both airports have service. If you’re flying into or out of Montreal, St-Hubert is worth checking before you default to Trudeau.
Source: CBC
