Aéroports de Montréal on a course for growth
Montréal has changed dramatically in recent years as aerospace,
biopharmaceuticals, information technology, and other high tech specialties
have pushed aside the city’s older manufacturing industries. Today the city
is a bustling metropolis on the leading edge of the knowledge economy. And
at the forefront of it all is Aéroports de Montréal.
Getting ready for takeoff
As high technology and globalization caused Montréal’s economy to soar into
the new century, clear opportunities emerged for local airport authority
Aéroports de Montréal (ADM). The challenge was how to gain the new
efficiencies needed to take advantage of them. With flights split between
connector hub Montréal-Dorval and charter facility Montréal-Mirabel, the
answer was found in a strategic reorientation—Montréal-Dorval would handle
all passenger traffic while Montréal-Mirabel would continue to operate as an
industrial and all-cargo facility.
An expanding role for Montréal-Dorval
Montréal-Dorval International Airport, which mainly serves domestic,
transborder, and international passenger traffic, is a perfect fit for its
new role. The airport has three runways, a complete network of taxiways, and
parking for 57 aircraft. Its current capacity is 80 movements per hour. It
is conveniently located within the urban limits of Montréal, a short drive
from virtually anywhere in the city.
An ambitious three-phase program
Given Montréal-Dorval’s extraordinary potential for passenger traffic
growth, ADM has undertaken an ambitious, three-phase expansion and
modernization program. Phase I has added a new transborder jetty of 17
gates, including four that can be used for any kind of flight—domestic,
transborder, or international. The central core has also been expanded with
the addition of retail space, 36 new check-in counters, new domestic and
international baggage facilities, and a new aircraft refueling system.
 A
total investment of CAN $716 million
Phase II, slated for 2003–2005, will add a new international wing, new
public spaces in the main block, and additional car parking. Phase III will
bring new US customs pre-clearance facilities, additional domestic capacity,
and changes to the main block. ADM is financing its total investment of CAN
$716 million through a special airport improvement fee and through long term
bonds, the first of which met with very favorable market response in 2002.
Once all work is complete is 2009, annual capacity will be 15 million
passengers, compared to traffic of 8.2 million in 2001.
Montréal-Mirabel goes all-cargo
Montréal-Mirabel is also a natural as an all-cargo facility. Located 60
kilometers from downtown Montréal, it is surrounded by large tracts of land
available for industrial development. With no curfews and no congestion, it
boasts a stellar record of on-time performance. All told, its two 3,660
meter runways can handle some 70 aircraft movements an hour. What’s more,
the airport complex includes 64,000 m2 of warehousing space in its cargo
transit center, as well as a perishable products facility and two freighter
bridges. Add to that 24 hour service by Customs and Agriculture Canada, and
it’s easy to see how cargo volumes increased 5.1 % in 2001 despite an
average worldwide drop of 7 %.
Montréal Foreign Trade Zone
Another plus for Montréal-Mirabel is its burgeoning Montréal Foreign Trade
Zone. Businesses located in the Zone not only enjoy direct access to the
airport’s facilities, but also qualify for substantial benefits, including
refundable tax credits. Since commencing operations in 2000, the Zone has
attracted no less than 13 companies that have created some 3,000 direct
jobs.
These changes, which reflect a new corporate culture more finely attuned
to efficiency, customer service, and business results, are already
delivering results. For more information on Aéroports de Montréal and its
airport facilities, please see
www.admtl.com.
Contact:
Yanic Roy, Manager, Airline Development Passengers
Phone: (514) 394-7256
Fax: (514)394-7356
E-mail: marketing@admtl.com
Web site:
www.admtl.com
Montreal International Airports
1100, boul. René-Lévesque Ouest, Suite 2100
Montréal (Québec) Canada H3B 4X8
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