Montreal’s newest airport MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport welcomed its first passengers and commercial flights on Monday (June 15), marking the official start of operations and the commencement of service by the YHU Terminal teams.
That morning, Porter Airlines’ inaugural flight departing from YHU was honoured with a water salute performed by the airport fire service.
It’s a long-standing aviation tradition is used to mark significant milestones in the life of an airport or airline.
The day also featured a formal ceremony and a ribbon-cutting in the presence of Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier and Quebec Minister of Tourism Amélie Dionne.
The event unfolded in front of an audience of stakeholders from the business, tourism, and transportation sectors in the Montreal and South Shore regions.
“This new terminal is the result of a collaborative effort involving citizens and elected officials–an effort that began long before the groundbreaking ceremony. And today, we are proud to see that 80 per cent of the population on Montreal’s South Shore supports the MET project,” said Simon-Pierre Diamond, Interim President of MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport, in a statement.
Porter launches 11 routes
As previously reported, Porter has launched four inaugural routes from the airport: to Vancouver, Toronto-Pearson, Toronto-City, and St. John’s, N.L.
This next week, Porter will introduce flights to 11 airports across the country from MET, just in time for the summer travel season.
Moreover, a partnership with Pascan Aviation will boost regional connections across Quebec, the Maritimes, and Porter’s broader North American network.
“Launching 11 new routes from a brand–new airport–alongside an expanded partnership with Pascan Aviation to connect regions and major Canadian cities–is significant milestone for Montreal, Quebec and Canada. We are strengthening connectivity, the economy, and tourism. I am grateful to our team at Porter, as well as partners at MET and YHU for our shared commitment to better serve travellers,” said Michael Deluce, CEO of Porter Airlines, in a statement.
MET will be served by Porter’s fleet of De Havilland Dash 8-400s (78 seats) and Embraer E195-E2s (132 seats). Both feature a two-by-two seating configuration, with no middle seats.
Passenger traffic at MET is projected to hit one million in its first year, climbing to four million annually at full capacity,
With new service from MET and continued operations at Montreal-Trudeau Airport, Porter is set to nearly double its capacity in Greater Montreal this summer, adding over 1,000 flights.
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