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AirportImprovement.com      May | June 2026
TERMINALS 
YHU
Roberge explains that Quebec, which 
has a population close to 10 million, 
has experienced a boom in passenger 
demand. And, while nearby Montreal-
Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is 
working to increase its capacity through 
a capital improvement program, the 
addition of commercial service at YHU 
will relieve some domestic strain in the 
region. “The timing could not be more 
perfect in terms of economic growth and 
what we bring to the table,” he says, 
noting that IATA predicts passenger 
demand will double 
in the next 20 years. 
“Montreal 
strongly needs more 
airport capacity,” 
agrees Simon-
Pierre Diamond, 
vice president of 
Corporate Affairs, Communications and 
Marketing for Montreal Metropolitan 
Airport. “The time was right in Montreal 
for a secondary airport.” 
Located in Longueuil, across the St. 
Lawrence River and just 15 kilometers 
from downtown Montreal, YHU was 
inaugurated as one of Canada’s first 
civilian airfields in 1927 under the 
name Saint-Hubert Airport. With both 
commercial and postal flights, it was 
long the main airport for Montreal. 
During World War II, it became a key 
training base for the Royal Canadian Air 
Force and played a key military role for 
the following decades. In the 1960s, 
military use declined at Saint-Hubert, 
while general aviation, corporate use and 
specialized training increased. 
In 2023, the facility was renamed 
Montreal Metropolitan Airport, reaffirming 
PHOTO: NORDET & CO. FOR YHU TERMINAL
SIMON-PIERRE DIAMOND
FACTS&FIGURES 
Project: New Terminal
Location: Montreal Metropolitan Airport 
Size: 21,000 sq. m; 9 gates
Expected Passenger Capacity: 4 million/yr
Cost: $450 million
Terminal Operator: YHU Infrastructure Partners 
Funding: Macquarie Asset Management (part of 
Macquarie Group); Porter Airlines
Key Components: 28 check-in counters & 10 self-
service check-in kiosks (2 with self-serve bag drop); 
3-lane passenger screening checkpoint; new food & 
beverage concessions; jet bridges; customer parking
Construction: Aug. 2023-June 2026
Architect: SCOTT Associates Architects Inc.
Contractor: PCL Construction 
Baggage Handling System: Alstef Group
Main Runway: 7,801 ft.
Secondary Runway: 3,922 ft. 
Airfield Improvements: $30 million
Pavement Work: Converted Runway 10-28 into a 
taxiway; modifications to lighting, signage & markings; 
rehabilitated Taxiway T; widened Taxiway R; corrected 
deficiencies on Taxiway C; apron work is pending
New Airfield Equipment: 5 plow-brooms; deicing 
truck; snow blower; loader with 25-ft. snowplow blade; 
2 new Oshkosh Striker 3000 trucks
Added Infrastructure: Jet A1 fuel farm; ground 
support equipment buildings; centralized closed-loop 
deicing facility; new fire station

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