Porter Aviation Holding (PAHI) has partnered with Montreal – Saint Hubert Airport (YHU) to create a new terminal that will serve more than four million passengers. Construction will begin in the first half of 2023 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024, providing Porter with a second airport to serve the Montreal market.
Porter will continue to expand its operations at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and will also have a cabotage network at YHU. In an initial phase, the airline has identified 10 potential routes at Saint – Hubert (YHU), from Vancouver (YVR) in the west and to St. John ‘s (YYT), in the east.
The Canadian airline is also looking to connect YHU to its main hubs in Toronto: Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) and Lester Pearson Airport (YYZ). This will provide Porter with a more convenient flight offering between Canada’s two major cities. The routes will be served by 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 and 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.
The development of the new Saint Hubert (YHU) facility follows the same Billy Bishop (YTZ) revitalization model that Porter has been a part of for the past two decades. Porter’s commitment at YTZ was the catalyst for route development and infrastructure investments that led to the airport to transport nearly 3 million passengers on more than 20 routes, with an annual economic impact of $3 billion.
Saint Hubert (YHU) will be the next Billy Bishop (YTZ) in the Province of Quebec
YHU’s new terminal will provide more efficient passenger processing, saving the travel time and lounge usage that Billy Bishop travelers are familiar with. PAHI originally designed and built the modern terminal at YTZ that is in use today.
«Saint-Hubert has incredible potential as a complementary secondary airport for Montreal, with a convenient location for an important part of the local market and also easy access to downtown Montreal,» said Michael Deluce, president and CEO of PAHI.
The new terminal will be available to other airlines, including Pascan Aviation. Pascan’s existing Saint Hubert (YHU) network on regional flights from Quebec. Porter and the regional airline intend to create a codeshare partnership, this will provide travelers with greater options to fly between the Province of Québec and other regions of Canada.
«With an ambitious fleet plan, state-of-the-art aircraft and an established track record of airport management, Porter is the perfect match for Montreal Saint-Hubert Airport. This new partnership will provide world-class air services to the people of the Greater Montreal and Quebec regions,» said Yanic Roy, managing director of Montréal-Saint-Hubert Airport.
The investment will create more than 500 permanent jobs at Saint Hubert (YHU), including full-time positions in terminal and airline operations, in addition to establishing a new pilot and flight attendant base.
See also: Porter to launch flights between Ottawa and Charlottetown
