Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW/CYOW) 1.0

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by YowItaliano

I flew my family and myself to Venice (VCE) last January with KLM instead of Air Canada due to the lack of YOW-FRA flight. My parents, who spend their winters in Italy continue to do so as well.
The bus trip-"flight" is a pain, but the savings plus the lack of the 1 stopper in FRA has made us forget about our Aeroplan points.
Air Canada better think twice before Air France/KLM take advantage and bring a 1 stopper for us to either AMS or CDG!!

I think there are a few international destinations (non transborder) which should come online at point or another. Besides the obvious Paris and Amsterdam, I could also see Manchester, Mexico City and one city in the Far East. Either Beijing, Tokyo or Seoul. A little "maybe" for Reykjavik can be added to the list. I think that would be it for a few decades at least. Of course, charter flights and US destinations can be anyone's guess, but SF is sure to come in at one point.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by bikegypsy

I think there are a few international destinations (non transborder) which should come online at point or another. Besides the obvious Paris and Amsterdam, I could also see Manchester, Mexico City and one city in the Far East. Either Beijing, Tokyo or Seoul. A little "maybe" for Reykjavik can be added to the list. I think that would be it for a few decades at least. Of course, charter flights and US destinations can be anyone's guess, but SF is sure to come in at one point.

I think within 20 years PEK/Beijing is a possibility. AC recently gave one of their investor presentations showing YOW-PEK O&D is currently 21,000 pax/year and is projected to grow to 30,000 within 3 years (from what I remember).

KEF/Reykjavik I think will happen by the end of this decade. Icelandair are building the DXB/Dubai of the atlantic (with free stopovers). Once FI start getting their 737 MAXes, I think YOW-KEF will happen not long after. They already serve YVR, YEG, YYZ & YHZ in Canada...and YEG and YHZ are definitely within YOW's peer group of airports. I'd imagine YWG, currently with zero transatlantic service, will also come online with the MAX.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by bikegypsy

But YOW has done a good job at chipping away at YUL's domination in the region over the years, although they still have a long way ahead. YOW's number's should be comparable to YEG's. CDG or AMS is just a matter of time.

CDG and/or AMS will only happen if the Airport Authority can somehow convince AF/KL to stop the buses to YUL. Isn't there also a 4th daily bus to YUL will Swiss?

YEG used to handle fewer pax than YOW back during Edmonton's split airport ops days. It's understandable why YEG should handle a couple million extra pax than YOW given that other than Calgary being within a day's drive of Edmonton, you pretty much need to fly from Edmonton to reach any city of any significant size of +500k population...and even there, the population catchment of YEG's 1 day driving catchment is max. 4 million.

Whereas here in Ottawa, for cities of +500k population, we're within a 1 day's drive of Detroit/Windsor, London, K-W, Hamilton/Niagara, Toronto/GTA, Montreal, Quebec, Boston, Hartford, NYC, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Philly, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Cleveland....let alone all the smaller ones. These cities/metros alone total at least 55 million, so Ottawa's 1 day drive catchment, must be at least 75 million.

As a result, it's easy to see why YEG should be handling more pax than YOW, but the gap has widened significantly in the past 5 years...even with YEG being down about 1% and YOW being up about 1% this year. Where it really hurts is seeing YEG surpass YOW's international pax numbers this year thanks to KL and FI.

[1overcosc]

Ottawa's airport has small passenger count numbers and fewer destinations because we're so close to Montreal and Toronto.

By contrast, cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton, etc. while smaller than Ottawa are far more isolated.

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Ottawa's airport has small passenger count numbers and fewer destinations because we're so close to Montreal and Toronto.

By contrast, cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton, etc. while smaller than Ottawa are far more isolated.

Our numbers should be closer to YEG's. When Montreal decided to change the location of their airport from St Hubert (south of the city) to Dorval (west of the city), they had Ottawa on their mind. As for Toronto, it's a bit far. Still, some people do drive the distance for a flight... But what a pain.

[Harley613]

St. Hubert is due East of the city, not South

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

I think within 20 years PEK/Beijing is a possibility. AC recently gave one of their investor presentations showing YOW-PEK O&D is currently 21,000 pax/year and is projected to grow to 30,000 within 3 years (from what I remember).

KEF/Reykjavik I think will happen by the end of this decade. Icelandair are building the DXB/Dubai of the atlantic (with free stopovers). Once FI start getting their 737 MAXes, I think YOW-KEF will happen not long after. They already serve YVR, YEG, YYZ & YHZ in Canada...and YEG and YHZ are definitely within YOW's peer group of airports. I'd imagine YWG, currently with zero transatlantic service, will also come online with the MAX.

Interesting. I knew YOW might be able to get this but didn't realize it could be that near.

[McC]

depends on whether they want to pick a fight with AC (or game of poker, chicken, whatever you want to call it) with the risk of losing service on the FRA and/or LHR routes, like the tiff at YEG last year: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/a...ver-spat-with-edmonton-airport-1.2223651 and previously at YHZ.

[BenTheGreat97]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

I think within 20 years PEK/Beijing is a possibility. AC recently gave one of their investor presentations showing YOW-PEK O&D is currently 21,000 pax/year and is projected to grow to 30,000 within 3 years (from what I remember).

KEF/Reykjavik I think will happen by the end of this decade. Icelandair are building the DXB/Dubai of the atlantic (with free stopovers). Once FI start getting their 737 MAXes, I think YOW-KEF will happen not long after. They already serve YVR, YEG, YYZ & YHZ in Canada...and YEG and YHZ are definitely within YOW's peer group of airports. I'd imagine YWG, currently with zero transatlantic service, will also come online with the MAX.

Maybe once the MAXes come online, but Montreal just announced flights to Iceland with Icelandair 4x weekly. So that means Ottawa is going to get pushed further down the road because of Montreal (once again) eating up Ottawa traffic.

http://montrealgazette.com/business/loca...celandair-to-begin-local-flights-in-2016

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by BenTheGreat97

Maybe once the MAXes come online, but Montreal just announced flights to Iceland with Icelandair 4x weekly. So that means Ottawa is going to get pushed further down the road because of Montreal (once again) eating up Ottawa traffic.

http://montrealgazette.com/business/loca...celandair-to-begin-local-flights-in-2016

Look at that so it was announced today. It had been rumoured to be in the pipeline since June. This is why I think YOW is on FI's radar (they said we were when I emailed them after they announced YEG, which read 'we know YOW well'), but not until the smaller 737-MAX8 arrives in 2018 (it's supposed to seat 153 vs 183 for their 757s).

[YOWhopeful]

Just read on airlineroute.net: Icelandair will start YUL - KEF May 2016.

[canabiz]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Ottawa's airport has small passenger count numbers and fewer destinations because we're so close to Montreal and Toronto.

By contrast, cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton, etc. while smaller than Ottawa are far more isolated.

Don't forget Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh and Syracuse airports, all within reasonable driving distance (~ 3 hours each way).

I'd love to see a direct flight from here to Asia. We are the capital of a G8 country after all but I have learned not to expect too much and just take things as they come.

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by canabiz

Don't forget Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh and Syracuse airports, all within reasonable driving distance (~ 3 hours each way).

I'd love to see a direct flight from here to Asia. We are the capital of a G8 country after all but I have learned not to expect too much and just take things as they come.

I don't think AC cares one bit about that. But I'm confident we'll see a flight to Asia within a decade.

[canabiz]

Originally Posted by bikegypsy

I don't think AC cares one bit about that. But I'm confident we'll see a flight to Asia within a decade.

Hope so. I constantly have to explain to my relatives visiting from Asia why they always have to transit in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto, prior to coming to Ottawa.

It is small wonder many of them think Toronto is actually the capital of this great country but that is another discussion altogether

It is what it is I guess, certainly lots of room for improvements.

[Jim613]

Originally Posted by canabiz

Hope so. I constantly have to explain to my relatives visiting from Asia why they always have to transit in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto, prior to coming to Ottawa.

It is small wonder many of them think Toronto is actually the capital of this great country but that is another discussion altogether

It is what it is I guess, certainly lots of room for improvements.

Noty fun for your relatives for sure, but it's all a numbers game. If the demand for Ottawa-Asia warranted a flight, we would have had one by now.

I don't think any airline is out to screw Ottawa. Even if it's a capital, Diplomatic travel obviously isn't enough

[bikegypsy]

Originally Posted by Jim613

Noty fun for your relatives for sure, but it's all a numbers game. If the demand for Ottawa-Asia warranted a flight, we would have had one by now.

I don't think any airline is out to screw Ottawa. Even if it's a capital, Diplomatic travel obviously isn't enough

Diplomatic travel represents a tiny portion of passenger numbers... Just a drop really. Also numbers change, populations increase, traveling habits change and industry creates better adapted and more efficient airliners.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by canabiz

Hope so. I constantly have to explain to my relatives visiting from Asia why they always have to transit in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto, prior to coming to Ottawa.

It is small wonder many of them think Toronto is actually the capital of this great country but that is another discussion altogether

It is what it is I guess, certainly lots of room for improvements.

Is that really such a surprise though when a capital isn't it's country's biggest city?

I mean, I wouldn't really be surprised at having to transfer if I was going to Brasilia, Ankara, Canberra or Bern.

[YOWflier]

Originally Posted by canabiz

Hope so. I constantly have to explain to my relatives visiting from Asia why they always have to transit in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto, prior to coming to Ottawa.

It is small wonder many of them think Toronto is actually the capital of this great country but that is another discussion altogether

It is what it is I guess, certainly lots of room for improvements.

FYI, Montreal doesn't have any non-stop services to Asia (unless one considers Turkey as a technicality). The ports of entry into Canada from places like Japan, China, and states nearby are Vancouver and Toronto. The only other city in Canada with non-stop service to Asia is Calgary (Japan).

[McC]

Although that's changing in just over one month when "Air China to Launch Beijing-Montreal Flights in Cooperation with Air Canada"
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/air...operation-with-air-canada-517756861.html

[YOWflier]

That Montreal is just now getting its first transpac service should be an indicator as to how soon or not Ottawa may get one. i.e. not soon.