It’s billed as the largest infrastructure transformation in the history of the Montreal airport, and it just took a big step forward.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and ADM Aéroports de Montréal have achieved financial close on a $1 billion loan to support a series of major construction projects planned for the next three years.
Some of those projects include improved access to the airport; new parking areas, pick-up and drop-off points; a new building to connect the future REM station to the terminal; systems to increase baggage handling capacity; and new taxiways and tarmacs.
The existing multi-level parking garage will be demolished to make way for a new, larger-capacity parking area.
“YUL’s development plan is extensive, but essential to ensure that our international airport can continue to accommodate growing passenger numbers and meet the expectations and needs of its users,” said Yves Beauchamp, the CEO of ADM Aéroports de Montréal.
“As a not-for-profit organization, it was crucial for ADM to diversify the financing of this large-scale project in order to accelerate investment in the airport for the benefit of the community. YUL will now be able to fulfil its role as a driver of socio-economic development for the city, province, and country even more effectively.”
Some 6.8 million travellers were expected at Trudeau airport during this year’s three summer months – from June to August. And that surge in travellers is projected to keep growing over the years.
Last year, Aéroports de Montréal committed to investing nearly $4 billion until 2028 to improve access to the airport. That announcement came just a few months after a post-pandemic surge in car traffic entering Montreal-Trudeau airport caused long lineups at drop-off and pick-up areas. In some cases, passengers opted to walk the final stretch to the airport, luggage in hand.
Helping ease traffic will be the REM access, with Beauchamp estimating 25 per cent of people will travel to the airport that way in the future.
The major projects planned over the next three years will contribute nearly $3.7 billion in GDP, according to Aéroports de Montréal.
