Porter Airlines launches first Aeroport St Hubert passenger flight
Porter Airlines sent the first passenger flight from aeroport st hubert on Monday morning, beginning commercial service from the new terminal at Aéroport métropolitain de Montréal in Longueuil’s Saint-Hubert borough. The flight departed for Vancouver, and the airport said the terminal was inaugurated the same morning.
The new commercial terminal was built at a cost of half a billion dollars. The airport said it expects 35 to 40 flights per day at first, 1 million travelers in its first year, and 4 million passengers annually at full capacity.
Charles Roberge and Terminal YHU
Charles Roberge, president and chief executive officer of Terminal YHU, said the airport is in discussion with several Canadian airlines. He said, “On est présentement en discussion avec plusieurs compagnies aériennes au Canada” and added, “C’est vraiment un projet qui va nous permettre de se connecter à la grandeur du Québec et du Canada.”
Roberge also pointed to the airport’s operating limits and monitoring plan. Night flights will be prohibited, and air quality sensors and sound sensors have been installed to measure the effects of operations continuously. The aircraft used there are Embraer E195-E2 and De Havilland Dash 8-400 planes.
Longueuil and the Rive-Sud
Catherine Fournier said Monday that it is a great day for Longueuil. She said, “C’est une grande journée pour Longueuil,” and added, “On peut venir prendre l’avion ici, à Longueuil, plutôt que d’aller à Dorval, mais, avant tout, c’est beaucoup plus grand que ce projet de nouvel aéroport.”
Two Rive-Sud residents visiting the terminal gave a direct read on the passenger experience. Yves Payette said, “C’est moins compliqué de se rendre ici qu’à Dorval, et c’est bien plus accessible,” while Micheline Perreault said, “j’aime l’atmosphère de Dorval” and “Ça me rappelle l’ambiance des vacances.”
Pascan Aviation at YHU
Pascan Aviation will continue to offer regional flights from the Saint-Hubert terminal, where it has already been present for about 20 years. Porter Airlines listed 11 destinations in Canada from the airport, including Vancouver, Toronto and St. John's.
The first commercial flight gives the terminal a new role inside the airport’s existing regional network, while the early flight count and annual passenger targets set the operating scale for travelers using YHU now. The immediate practical change is simple: passengers can now board commercial flights from the new Saint-Hubert terminal rather than traveling elsewhere for that service.
