What you need to know flying from Montreal Trudeau Airport

What you need to know about flying from Montreal Trudeau Airport over the holidays

Trudeau Airport/Shutterstock

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also a very confusing time to fly.

Either you haven’t flown since March 2020 or you have and all the rules have changed again. Regardless, travelling by air isn’t as easy as it once was.

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If you’re flying out of Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport this holiday season, or considering it, here’s a handy guide of what you should know before you fly.

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For starters, all passengers 12 years old and up need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to board a plane departing from Canada to any Canadian or international destination.

Besides that, and needing to wear a mask indoors for the entire time (except while eating and drinking), here is a quick guide to flying from YUL this holiday season.

Flying from YUL to the United States

According to the CDC, all air passengers two years of age or older boarding a flight from Montreal to the United States need proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery from the virus.

You will need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than one day before you travel by air into the United States
You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight
If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel)
For flights to the US, YUL recommends three hours before your flight’s estimated departure

Flying from YUL internationally

Each international destination has its own set of entry requirements. Passengers are required to understand and prepare for the entry requirements of their destination before leaving the Montreal Airport.

COVID-19 airport tests

Biron Groupe Santé offers passengers departing from YUL different types of COVID-19 tests on site.

The RAPID PCR test ($299)

Could be performed on the day of departure, results are available in one hour
Molecular test that identifies individuals potentially infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the time of testing. This polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 looks for viral RNA in a nasal secretions sample)

The Antigenic test ($149)

Could be performed on the day of departure, results are available in 25 minutes
This fast-acting test detects (in nasal secretions) the presence of proteins (or antigens) associated with the virus that causes COVID-19

The clinic is open every day between 5:30 am and 7 pm. Rapid PCR tests are only performed between 8 am and 5 pm.

Passengers who wish to take the test at the airport must book it in advance through Biron’s website by clicking here.

Security checkpoints

All passengers must wear a face covering over their mouth and nose before entering the screening checkpoint.

The detectors at the checkpoints are sensitive to metals. Clothing with metal appliqués, belts, and jewellery will sound the alarm and result in a physical search by an agent.

Travellers are strongly recommended to check the complete list of items that are and are not permitted by CATSA.

The measures for liquids are unchanged (only containers smaller than 100 ml are allowed and must be placed in a 1 L plastic bag).

Liquid disinfectants are accepted in carry-on baggage. A passenger may carry a 355 ml bottle of hand sanitizer in their carry-on baggage. The bottle does not need to be placed in the 1 L re-sealable bag with other liquids, aerosols, and gels.