MONTRÉAL - The year 2017 was marked by remarkable growth, with a record 18.2 million passengers welcomed at Montréal-Trudeau airport, a 9.5% increase over 2016. The coming 2018 summer season promises continued growth, with new air services and new destinations offered.
Here are the highlights for this summer:
- Five new destinations from Montréal, all served by Air Canada:
- Tokyo (from June 1 - year-round)
- Bucharest (from June 7 - summer only)
- Baltimore and Pittsburgh (from May 17 - year-round)
- Victoria (from June 22 - summer only)
Montréal will welcome a 34th carrier, its 22nd international airline: low-cost carrier Level-France. It will offer a thrice-weekly flight from Montréal to Paris Orly from July 2 to November 3.
The total number of seats offered will rise by 6%, with 8% growth for the international sector. Added seat capacity for the season for several carriers, including Interjet (+ 52%), Air Transat (+ 18%), Air China (+ 10%) and Air Canada (+ 8%).
Added seat capacity for many destinations, especially for international service, including Tel Aviv (+ 52%), Mexico City (+ 21%) and Paris (+ 4%). The number of weekly flights to Lisbon will double for the summer.
Several international carriers will increase their flight frequency for the summer season, including Tunisair (four flights/week), Air China (six flights/week to Beijing) and Air Algérie (eight flights/week).
"Travellers from Montréal and Québec City will have access to a record number of international destinations this summer," said Philippe Rainville, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal. "Montréal-Trudeau is, more than ever, a gateway for discovering the world! In addition, the inaugural flight to Tokyo in June will be a third direct link with Asia, a continent that was not served until just recently. We are continuing to move steadily forward, with sustained growth and a constant focus on providing our passengers and partners with a vibrant, pleasant and safe airport environment."
Montréal-Trudeau is proportionately the most international of all Canadian airports. A grand total of 146 destinations, a record 89 of which are international, will be offered in 2018. Montréal-Trudeau was also recently recognized at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, rated sixth-best in the category "Best Airport Staff Service in North America" and ranked by Skytrax among the Top 10 Airports in North America.
