Porter Airlines is building a second airport for Montreal at YHU, a $450 million project, according to Simple Flying. The plan is built around domestic convenience, not international prestige, which is how Porter hopes to avoid repeating Mirabel, the second airport Simple Flying calls a $30 billion disaster. If you fly around Canada from Montreal, this could give you a smaller, faster place to start your trip.
What is Porter building at YHU?
Porter is building a $450 million airport at YHU, aimed at people flying within Canada. The story does not give an opening date, a route list or a schedule, so we will not guess at any of those. What it does give is the idea behind it: keep it small, keep it close, and make it easy.
That idea should sound familiar. Porter made its name at Billy Bishop in downtown Toronto, a small airport people choose because it is close and quick. YHU looks like the same bet, made in Montreal. In our view, that is the right bet for Porter. It is playing to what it already does well.
Why does Mirabel matter here?
Mirabel matters because it is the warning every Montreal flyer knows. It was built as a big second airport, far from the city, meant to carry international flights. It never became what it was supposed to be, and Simple Flying puts the cost of that mistake at $30 billion.
The lesson most people take from Mirabel is simple. Do not build far from where people live, and do not try to pull the big flights away from the main airport. Porter's plan at YHU seems to follow both rules. It is on the South Shore, close to a lot of homes and businesses, and it is not trying to steal Trudeau's long flights to Europe or Asia. It is trying to make short trips easier.
Honestly, that is the difference between a disaster and a good idea. Size and ambition sank Mirabel. YHU is going the other way.
Will YHU actually save you time?
It depends on where you start and where you are going. Small airports tend to have shorter security lines, shorter walks and less traffic around them. If you live or work on the South Shore, skipping the drive to Trudeau could save real time on every trip.
But there is a trade. A small airport usually means fewer flights and fewer airlines. If you need a connection to somewhere far away, or you want lounge access and a long list of options, Trudeau will likely still be your airport. YHU is best for the quick work trip within Canada, where getting there and back fast matters more than anything else.
Our take: for many business owners, the biggest cost of a short flight is not the ticket. It is the time on the ground. An airport that cuts that time is worth paying attention to.
Who should care, and who can skip it?
You should care if you fly out of Montreal often for short trips within Canada, especially if you are closer to the South Shore than to Trudeau. Keep an eye on Porter's announcements and check the door to door time once schedules come out.
You can skip it if you mostly fly long haul, if you rarely start trips in Montreal, or if you are happy with Trudeau as it is. Nothing changes for you today.
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