Montreal Trudeau Airport says travellers can expect longer wait times than usual

Travellers at the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport will have to wait “longer than usual” after Canada has opened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers around the world.

In an email with Daily Hive, Anne-Sophie Hamel, the director of Corporate Affairs & Media Relations with Trudeau Airport, says activity levels have been increasing at YUL over the past few weeks.

Hamel says in July, YUL Montreal-Trudeau Airport welcomed about 20% more passenger traffic than it received in July 2019 and 30% more than in August 2019. “We expect that we will get a 40% increase of our passenger traffic from 2019 in September with the opening of international borders to fully vaccinated travellers,” she said.

• See also:
  • Canada reopens borders to fully vaccinated international travellers
  • Healthcare workers in Quebec must be vaccinated by mid-October or risk suspensions

Depending on the time of day, travellers heading out of YUL could wait up to three hours before taking off.

Montreal Airport recommends passengers show up 45 minutes early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights.

Hamel says passenger screening will be carried out by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers across the country and says border procedures will be “more complex and strict” as a result of COVID-19.

“In addition to the regular process, agents must validate the quarantine plan of each passenger and verify their proof of vaccination, amongst other things,” says Hamel.

She says the YUL Montreal-Trudeau airport will continue to improve its processes and ensure passengers can arrive safely in Montreal, despite the pandemic.

On Tuesday morning, Canada opened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from around the world.

International travellers who have received at least two doses of a Health Canada-authorized COVID-19 vaccine are now allowed on Canadian soil for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Foreign travellers who are fully vaccinated no longer need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

As of now, Canada has approved four COVID-19 vaccines for travel: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca.