YQB/SOM Survey - 95% of Québec City residents support a U.S. Customs preclearance facility at YQB

QUÉBEC CITY, May 28, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - To make sure the population of Québec City was supportive before installing a U.S. Customs preclearance facility at Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, Aéroport de Québec inc. (AQi) hired SOM, a survey firm, to measure the degree of local support for the project. The online survey, conducted May 13 to 21, 2015, makes it clear that Québec City residents are overwhelmingly in favor of the preclearance facility: nearly all respondents (95%) had either a highly favorable (62%) or a somewhat favorable (33%) opinion of the project.

"The numbers speak for themselves: 95% of local residents are on board. Approval ratings couldn't be higher. We're very pleased," noted AQi President and CEO Gaëtan Gagné. "For us, the support of the Québec City population, just like that of the federal government and Transport Canada, is critical. This expression of support gives YQB a clear mandate to pursue an agreement with the U.S. government to establish a Québec City preclearance facility. Furthermore, we're counting on the federal government to support Quebec City Airport's candidacy to obtain a U.S. preclearance center," Mr. Gagné added.

Preclearance: Key benefits for passengers
A preclearance facility at YQB would substantially cut the time passengers spend in transit in U.S. airports. Passengers would no longer need to clear U.S. customs upon arrival, because all customs procedures could be completed prior to takeoff in Québec City. And passengers could also take advantage of cutting-edge U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) technology at YQB, again cutting wait times.

Passengers would no longer be subject to searches when boarding a connecting flight in the United States: only the initial search, in Québec City, would be required.

YQB could also offer connections to more American cities because the U.S. destination airport would not necessarily need to have customs facilities. This would open the door to a number of airports that currently only serve the U.S. domestic market.

Survey methodology
The online survey was conducted by SOM from May 13 to 21, 2015, with a sample of 328 respondents in the Québec City metropolitan area. The maximum margin of error for all respondents is 6.2%, 19 times out of 20.

About Aéroport de Québec inc. (AQi)

Since November 1, 2000, Aéroport de Québec inc. has been responsible for the management, operation, maintenance, and development of the Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport. Approximately a dozen carriers offer multiple connections to various destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe, with daily service to major hubs in northeastern North America.

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SOURCE Aéroport de Québec

Mathieu Claise, Director, Communication and Public Relations, Aéroport de Québec inc., Phone: [phone], extension 2625