MONTRÉAL, Feb. 9, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) is pleased to announce that Montréal–Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport welcomed a total of 16.6 million passengers in 2016, an increase of 1.1 million, or 6.9%, over 2015. This marked the seventh consecutive increase in annual passenger traffic at Montréal–Trudeau and established a new record, which has enabled the airport, among other things, to strengthen its third-place ranking on the list of Canada's busiest airports.
"Air travel in Canada has been in a golden age for a number of years now," said Philippe Rainville, the new President and Chief Executive Officer of ADM. "The main reason for this has been Air Canada's expansionary strategy, supported by low fuel prices and a favourable exchange rate. Aéroports de Montréal is very proud to have planned and built, in a timely manner, the new facilities it needed to take full advantage of that growth. The entire Montréal community is now reaping the benefits."
Mr. Rainville continued: "If the present trend continues, our annual traffic will be in the neighbourhood of 20 million passengers by 2020, propelling Montréal–Trudeau to the next level. The prospects for 2017 are already very promising: Air Canada's new daily route linking Montréal and Shanghai, which will be inaugurated on February 16, is expected to generate some 125,000 yearly passengers, including large numbers of tourists from China; meanwhile, Air Transat's roster of destinations is expanding to include Tel Aviv."
All three traffic sectors contributed to the increase. The biggest surprise was in domestic arrivals and departures, which surged by nearly 9.7% in 2016, with the Montréal–Toronto route proving especially busy. Traffic in the international sector was up by 5.9%, remaining vigorous thanks in part to the arrival of new carriers, including Air China, which completed its first full year of operations at Montréal–Trudeau in 2016. Flights to and from Europe also hit new highs during the summer, reflecting the increased capacity deployed by Air Canada, Air Transat and international airlines alike. Transborder (Canada–U.S.) traffic, meanwhile, grew by 4.3%, with destinations in the American West (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, along with newly added Denver) and the three New York City airports strongly driving up demand.
There is further cause for celebration: connecting traffic increased once again, by approximately half a percentage point, to 18.8%, thanks to carriers' efforts to develop Montréal–Trudeau as a hub. In absolute terms, taking into account the strong growth in overall traffic, the number of connecting passengers jumped by about 300,000, from 2.8 million in 2015 to 3.1 million in 2016. Connections are primarily between the domestic or transborder sectors on the one hand, and the international sector on the other.
About Aéroports de Montréal
Aéroports de Montréal is the local airport authority that has been responsible for the management, operation and development of Montréal–Trudeau and Montréal–Mirabel international airports since 1992. The Corporation employs 650 people at both airports and at head office. Nearly 140 destinations served by 30 airlines are accessible by direct flight from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
For more information about Aéroports de Montréal and its activities, visit www.admtl.com.
SOURCE Aéroports de Montréal
Source: Christiane Beaulieu, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Communications, Tel.: 514 394-7304
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