Montréal-Trudeau International Airport Statistics

Published 15 Jul 2026Updated 8 Sept 2026

Published 15 Jul 2026 · Updated 8 Sept 2026

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) serves as Canada’s primary international gateway to Europe and plays a critical role in transcontinental air travel. Over the past decade, the airport has undergone significant expansion, becoming one of the fastest-growing international hubs in North America with more than 22 million passengers each year.

How many passengers pass through Montréal-Trudeau International Airport each year?

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport handles approximately 22 million passengers annually, making it one of Canada’s busiest airports. The airport has set new passenger records in recent years.

  • YUL processed 22.37 million passengers in 2025, a 0.5% decrease from 22.48 million in 2024.
  • The airport surpassed its pre-pandemic benchmark of 20.31 million passengers in 2019 by 10.1% as of 2025.
  • Passenger traffic dropped sharply during the pandemic, falling to 5.44 million in 2020 and 5.20 million in 2021, before starting to recover in 2022 with 15.98 million.
  • Recovery accelerated in 2023, reaching 21.17 million travellers, a 32.5% year-over-year increase and the strongest growth among major Canadian airports.
Bar chart of annual passenger volume at Montréal-Trudeau Airport from 2017 to 2025, rising from 18.17 million to a peak of 22.48 million with a sharp pandemic dip to 5.20 million in 2021.
Annual passenger volume at Montréal-Trudeau (YUL), 2017–2025, in millions — a 2019 pre-pandemic peak, a steep 2020–2021 collapse, then recovery to record highs above 22 million.

Domestic vs International Passengers

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport has a passenger profile heavily weighted towards international travel, making it the most internationally oriented major airport in Canada.

  • Domestic passengers made up 30.4% of traffic, totalling 6.79 million in 2025, with a 2.9% increase from the prior year.
  • International passengers (including U.S. transborder flights) accounted for 69.6% of traffic in 2025, the highest share among Canadian airports.
  • U.S. transborder travellers represented 21.0% of the total, or 4.70 million passengers, reflecting a 9.4% decline.
  • Other international travellers formed the largest group at 48.6% of traffic, or 10.88 million passengers, with a 2.4% increase over the previous year.
100% stacked bar chart of passenger origin at Montréal-Trudeau from 2020 to 2025, split into Domestic, Transborder, and International segments, with International growing from 2.38 million to 10.88 million.
Passenger breakdown by origin — domestic, U.S. transborder, and other international — at Montréal-Trudeau, 2020–2025.

What is the total number of aircraft operations at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport each year?

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport records more than 200,000 aircraft movements annually.

  • In 2025, aircraft operations totaled 206,600, a 0.8% decrease from 208,224 in 2024.
  • The airport hit a peak of 266,227 operations in 2019, before falling to 96,488 in 2020 and 97,905 in 2021 due to the pandemic.
  • Operations rebounded in 2022 to 178,899, followed by 201,159 in 2023.
Bar chart of annual aircraft operations at Montréal-Trudeau Airport from 2017 to 2025, peaking at 266.2 thousand in 2019, dropping to about 96.5 thousand in 2020, and recovering to roughly 207 thousand.
Annual aircraft operations at Montréal-Trudeau, 2017–2025, in thousands — a 2019 peak of 266,227, a pandemic low near 97,000, and partial recovery above 206,000.

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Montréal-Trudeau International Airport?

  • Air Canada generally holds about 50% of the market at YUL. Projections for summer 2025 suggested the airline and its regional affiliates could operate up to 60% of available seats.
  • Air Transat is a key secondary carrier, focusing on leisure routes to Europe and sun destinations using YUL as a hub.
  • Porter Airlines has expanded rapidly with new Embraer E195-E2 jets, adding competitive transborder and transcontinental services.
  • WestJet has scaled back operations in Eastern Canada, including at YUL, as part of a broader strategic shift toward Western markets.
  • New international carriers at YUL include Emirates (Dubai), Avianca (Bogotá), Arajet (Dominican Republic) and French bee (Paris-Orly).

What are the monthly trends in passenger traffic at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport?

Passenger traffic at Montréal-Trudeau is highest from June to August, with each month seeing over 2 million travellers in 2025.

  • July led with 2.35 million passengers, followed closely by August with 2.20 million.
  • June had 2.07 million and September saw 1.95 million.
  • The least busy months were February (1.50 million) and November (1.57 million).
Bar chart of monthly passenger traffic at Montréal-Trudeau Airport in 2025, ranging from a February low of 1.50 million to a July peak of 2.35 million.
Monthly passenger traffic at Montréal-Trudeau in 2025, in millions — a summer peak in July (2.35M) and a February low (1.50M).

How many routes are there in Montréal-Trudeau International Airport?

  • As of mid 2025, YUL offers direct flights to 150-166 destinations, served by approximately 36 airlines, reflecting substantial post-pandemic route expansion.
  • The airport provides non-stop flights to five continents, making it one of only two Canadian airports with such global connectivity.
  • Recent additions to the route network include Cincinnati, Edinburgh, Bermuda, Naples and Valencia.

Which destinations are the most popular from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport?

  • Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) is the most frequented route from YUL, with an average of 155 weekly flights.
  • Toronto-Billy Bishop (YTZ) follows with 104 weekly flights.
  • Quebec City (YQB) ranks third with 63 flights per week.
  • New York-La Guardia (LGA) and Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) have 56 and 52 flights weekly, rounding out the top five.
Horizontal bar chart of the top 10 destinations from Montréal-Trudeau by average weekly flights, led by Toronto-Pearson at 155 and ranging down to Cancún at 42.
Most popular destinations from Montréal-Trudeau by average weekly flights — led by Toronto-Pearson (155) and Toronto-Billy Bishop (104).

How much cargo does Montréal-Trudeau International Airport handle annually?

Montréal-Trudeau handles over 150,000 tonnes of cargo each year.

  • The airport processed 158,020 tonnes in 2024, an 18.9% increase over the 132,863 tonnes in 2023.
  • The 2024 volume is also 29.7% higher than 2019’s 121,868 tonnes.
  • Cargo traffic reached 81,630 tonnes in 2020, increasing to 88,326 tonnes in 2021, 125,412 tonnes in 2022, and 132,863 tonnes in 2023.
Bar chart of cargo handled by Montréal-Trudeau Airport from 2017 to 2024, dipping to 81.6 thousand tonnes in 2020 before climbing to a high of 158.0 thousand tonnes in 2024.
Annual cargo handled at Montréal-Trudeau, in thousands of tonnes — a 2020 dip near 81,600 and a 2024 high of 158,020. Note: 2025 cargo data has not been published yet.

How much revenue has Montréal-Trudeau International Airport generated each year?

Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), which operates Montréal-Trudeau (YUL) and Mirabel (YMX) generates nearly CAD 1 billion in annual revenue.

  • In 2025, it reached a record CAD 960.8 million, up 4.8% year-over-year and 35.9% higher than 2019.
  • Total revenue stood at CAD 707.0 million in 2019, before falling to CAD 282.2 million in 2020 due to COVID-19.
  • Revenue dropped slightly more to CAD 277.7 million in 2021, then rebounded to CAD 652.1 million in 2022.
  • In 2023, revenue rose to CAD 847.9 million, and in 2024 it reached a record CAD 917.2 million.
Bar chart of annual revenue generated by Montréal-Trudeau Airport from 2017 to 2025, falling from $707.0 million in 2019 to $277.7 million in 2021 before rising to a record $960.8 million in 2025.
Annual revenue for Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), in millions CAD — a 2020–2021 COVID trough near CAD 278M and a 2025 record of CAD 960.8M.

What are the notable incidents at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport?

  • 18 June 1998: Propair Flight 420 crashed after a fire in the left wing, killing all 11 people on board.
  • 5 June 2015: WestJet Flight 588 slid off the runway during landing; no injuries were reported.
  • 9 July 2023: Air Canada Flight 885 was evacuated after a service truck caught fire at the gate; no injuries occurred.

Other relevant facts related to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport

  • Trudeau is the busiest airport in the province of Quebec and the third-busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic.
  • There are currently two runways in operation at Montréal-Trudeau:
    • 06L/24R: 3,400 metres in length.
    • 06R/24L: 3,010 metres in length.
  • Montréal-Trudeau airport consists of one two-storied terminal, divided into four different zones:
    • The public area (departures and arrivals level)
    • The domestic jetty
    • The international jetty
    • The transborder jetty
  • The airport has eight mobile lounges that are used to shuttle passengers from the terminal to a plane parked at a remote hardstand spot.

References

  1. Aéroports de Montréal — Montréal-Trudeau Operation Data · admtl.com
  2. UNISCO — Montréal-Trudeau International Airport Cargo Data · unisco.com
  3. FlightsFrom — Flights from Montréal-Trudeau (YUL) · flightsfrom.com
  4. Aviation Safety Network — Notable Incidents at Calgary Airport · asn.flightsafety.org
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