Traffic to Montreal-Trudeau Airport is breaking taxi fares and passenger patience
A trip from downtown takes over an hour during peak summer travel, costing drivers far more than the fixed $48.40 daytime rate.
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Getting to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport from downtown has become so slow that taxi drivers can no longer make it work financially, and passengers are missing flights.
CityNews tested the route from its downtown office at 3:15 p.m. on a Friday. Google Maps estimated 57 minutes; the actual trip took more than an hour. The biggest delay came after exiting Highway 20 at Exit 56, where traffic slowed to a crawl on the final stretch leading to the departures area.
"It's only 17 kilometres from downtown to the airport," said Taxi Champlain driver Antoine Jkayem. "Normally, it takes 15 or 17 minutes." The bottleneck begins once vehicles leave the highway. "Even from the exit of the highway to the departures, that's the longest way. Sometimes the lineup stretches more than one kilometre back onto the highway."
For taxi drivers, the congestion is more than an inconvenience. Fares between downtown Montreal and the airport are fixed at $48.40 during the day, meaning longer trips don't generate additional income. During the test run, the metered fare climbed to over $77 by the time the taxi reached departures—well above the fixed rate drivers actually receive. Jkayem said passengers are also suffering: some miss their flights or abandon luggage on the highway to walk.
Aéroports de Montréal says the congestion is driven by record passenger volumes. More than two million passengers travel through the airport each month during summer, pushing the road network beyond capacity. "During certain periods of the day, our main ramp area has about a thousand vehicles more than the capacity of that infrastructure," said airport spokesperson Anne-Sophie Hamel.
The airport is in the midst of a $10-billion modernization project that includes new access roads and redesigned pickup and drop-off areas. However, significant improvements are not expected until at least 2028. In the meantime, the airport recommends travelers arrive three hours before departure.
The facts
What is the fixed taxi fare from downtown to Montreal-Trudeau Airport?
The fixed daytime taxi fare from downtown Montreal to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport is $48.40, regardless of travel time.
How many passengers travel through Montreal-Trudeau Airport each month during summer?
More than two million passengers travel through Montreal-Trudeau International Airport each month during summer, pushing the road network beyond capacity.
When will airport access road improvements be completed?
Significant improvements to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport's access roads are not expected until at least 2028, as part of a $10-billion modernization project.
