It is about to cost you more to fly out of Montreal-Trudeau Airport

After a significant decrease in revenue resulting from COVID-19, the Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) will be increasing some airport fees starting February 1, 2021.

For travellers, this means making a trip out of Montreal-Trudeau Airport next year will be a little pricier than usual.

Like other Canadian airport authorities, the ADM has been “compelled” to announce an increase in the airport improvement fees (AIF) charged to departing passengers at YUL.

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Airport improvement fees are used “exclusively to fund infrastructure projects essential to maintaining safe operations at YUL,” states the news release. Prices will increase from $30 to $35 effective this coming February.

“While a major budget rationalization exercise has reduced our capital budget to the strict minimum for the coming years, significant amounts have had to and will continue to be made available annually to ensure that our airport site complies with current safety and security regulations and requirements,” said Philippe Rainville, president and CEO of ADM Aéroports de Montréal.

 

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The ADM says it has a duty to “ensure that its facilities are upgraded,” and the airport authority says it will “never compromise on this.” In the current context, the airport says it has no choice but to proceed with the $5 increase, which will partially offset the substantial cash shortfall that’s been caused by COVID-19.

The news release notes that the ADM is a not-for-profit, non-subsidized organization, generating its revenues on a user-pay basis.

Data suggests a minimum 71% decrease in passenger traffic at YUL for the current year compared to 2019. “For the year 2021, a decrease of at least 50% is anticipated, again based on the same reference year. The increase in AIF is expected to generate additional revenues of $20 million in 2021,” concluded the news release.

The last AIF increase at Montreal-Trudeau Airport occurred in April 2018, eight years after a freeze on fees.