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Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport

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Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Jean Lesage International Airport (French: Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec, or Aéroport de Québec) (IATA: YQB, ICAO: CYQB), is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada. Designated as an international airport by Transport Canada,[5] it is located 17 km (10.5 mi) west of the city, in the Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge borough.[6] In 2025, it was the 12th-busiest airport in Canada by number of passengers with 1,819,553 passengers.[4] More than ten airlines offer hundreds of weekly flights to destinations across Canada, the United States, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
OwnerTransport Canada
OperatorAéroport de Québec Inc.
ServesQuébec City metropolitan area
LocationQuebec City, Quebec, Canada
Focus city forAir Transat
Time zoneEST (UTC−05:00)
 • Summer (DST)EDT (UTC−04:00)
Elevation AMSL243 ft / 74 m
Coordinates46°47′28″N 071°23′36″W / 46.79111°N 71.39333°W / 46.79111; -71.39333
Public transit accessBus interchange RTC  76   80 
Websitewww.aeroportdequebec.com
Map
CYQB is located in Quebec
CYQB
CYQB
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
06/24 9,000 2,743 Asphalt
11/29 5,700 1,737 Asphalt
Statistics (2025)
Passengers1,819,553
Aircraft movements142,460
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement[1]
Environment Canada[2]
Movements from Statistics Canada[3]
Passenger statistics from Aéroport de Québec[4]

History

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Interior of the Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport

The airport was established in 1939, a year after the closure of the Aérodrome Saint-Louis. Established as a training facility for air observers, the first flight occurred on September 11, 1941. First known as the Aéroport de l'Ancienne Lorette, then the Aéroport de Sainte-Foy, and later the Aéroport de Québec, it was renamed to Aéroport international Jean-Lesage in 1993, in honour of Jean Lesage, the former Premier of Quebec. The airport is managed and operated by Aéroport de Québec inc., a non-profit and non-share corporation.

Beginning in 2006, with a budget of $65.8 million, Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport underwent a modernization designed to increase the terminal's capacity and substantially enhance the level of passenger service.[7] The modernization included reconfiguring the terminal on two levels, restructuring the baggage handling area and arrivals area, and reconfiguring and enlargement of the waiting rooms. Fifty-four percent of the financing was provided directly by Aéroport de Québec inc. Completed in June 2008, the new configuration of the airport enabled it to handle 1.4 million passengers a year.[7]

Based on the passenger figures for 2009 and 2010, it became clear that the terminal building would reach its design capacity by 2012. Aéroport de Québec inc. therefore began planning further investments of nearly $300 million to expand the terminal building again.[8] On July 4, 2011, work began on the second phase of the airport expansion, which lasted until 2017. Partially funded through an Airport Improvement Fee, the terminal building was doubled in size, at a cost of $224.8 million. The work included expanding the international facilities, redoing runways, changing and upgrading the layout of the taxiways, and enhancing customer service facilities.[9]

On September 19, 2013, because of earth magnetic north pole drift, runway 12/30 was renamed to runway 11/29.

On 10 March 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Barack Obama announced the addition of the airport to the list of Canadian airports containing U.S. border preclearance facilities.[10][11] In 2019, Trudeau and President Donald Trump also announced that the airport would obtain border preclearance.[12] However, as of March 2024, preclearance is not yet available.[13]

On December 11, 2017, the first phase of YQB2018, the expansion project, was completed with the opening of the new international terminal. Features included more dedicated baggage carousels serving international flights, a new customs area, an expanded food court and restaurant area, four new gates (34 to 37), an improved and larger loading area for cars and buses, and a larger capacity baggage area.

The last expansion phase, which involved linking the domestic and international terminals, was completed in the summer of 2019.

Facilities

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Quebec Jean-Lesage International Airport has two runways, 06/24 and 11/29, served by seven taxiways. Runway 06/24 is the main and longest runway measuring 9000' by 150'. The secondary runway 11/29 is 5700' by 150'. The airport has three aprons; Apron 1 and Apron 2 serve the main terminal and Apron 3 caters to general aviation with its varied FBOs, charter companies, flight schools and maintenance facilities.[14]

The main terminal has 17 gates numbered 20 to 37, 12 of which have a jet-bridge. CYQB is designated as an Airport of Entry by the Canadian Border Services Agency and has full customs services for international travellers.[15]

Two governmental entities are also based on the field, the Canadian Coast Guard has a helicopter base and Quebec's Service Aerien Gouvernemental which, in addition to specialized medevac aircraft, operates one of the largest Canadair water bomber fleet worldwide.[16]

Premier Aviation operates a 60,000 square-foot heavy maintenance facility on the northeast side of the airport servicing the ATRs, Embraer ERJ family and de Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft types from national and international customers such as Calm Air and United Express.[17][18]

Quebec Jean-Lesage International Airport also features 10 special holes in the security fence placed at positions strategically and jointly determined by the airport authority and a local plane spotting group that allow photographers and spotters to insert telephoto lenses and photograph airport activities. These holes are specifically reserved for this use and are situated all around the perimeter of the airport. In 2019, the American website Digital Photography Review called the airport "the number one spot for aviation photographers".[19]

Operations

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Multiple types of light aircraft and a Dash 8 holding short of runway 24 while an A319 lands

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport is open and active 24/7 with no curfew times. Nav Canada operates a control tower on site and a Terminal Control Unit based in the Montreal ACC, both operating as Class C airspace as defined by CARs. ATC operations can be conducted in both French and English at the discretion of the pilot. Air Traffic Controllers in CYQB are often working in both languages at the same time.[14][20]

All runways are served by RNAV approaches with LPV minimums and RNP approaches. In addition, runway 06 has an Instrument landing system approach.[21]

A very diverse mix of traffic operates daily and concurrently at CYQB. Aircraft ranging from light training aircraft such as the Cessna 152 and Diamond DV-20 used by the flight schools, helicopters such as the Bell 429 used by the Canadian Coast Guard or Bell 412 of the Royal Canadian Air Force based in CFB Valcartier, small turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12 or Beechcraft 1900D flown by Chrono Aviation and Air Liaison, float planes operating from the nearby Lac Saint-Augustin Water Airport and medium to heavy commercial aircraft such as the Q400, CRJs, A321, 737, A330 and 777 among others, make up the around 142 000 yearly aircraft movements at the airport.[22][23][24][25]

Quebec City being one of the snowiest city on earth,[26] with an average of 315 to 400 cm (124 to 157 in) of snow accumulation every year[27][28] intense winter conditions and snow removal operations occurs regularly between November and April. CYQB has a Reduced Visibility Operations program permitting operations down to half-mile visibility on runway 24 and 1200' (350 m) runway visual range on runway 06.[14]

Jean-Lesage airport also sees heavy use of land and hold short operations (LAHSO) operations when runways 24 and 29 are active. The stopping distances for those runways with LAHSO are respectively 5400' and 3800'. In easterly winds, runway 11 is very rarely used, runway 06 is preferred even with crosswinds of up to 25 knots.[14]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Fort-de-France,[29] Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Cancún, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Pointe-à-Pitre (begins December 17, 2026),[30] Punta Cana, Vancouver[31]
Air Canada Express Montréal–Trudeau, Ottawa, Toronto–Pearson
Air Canada Rouge Montréal–Trudeau,[32] Toronto–Pearson[33]
Air France Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle[34]
Air Inuit Montréal–Trudeau, Kuujjuaq, Schefferville, Sept-Îles
Air Transat Cancún,[35][36] Fort-de-France,[37] Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[35] Punta Cana[35][36]
Seasonal: Cayo Coco,[36] Fort Lauderdale,[36] Holguín,[36] Marseille,[38] Montréal–Trudeau,[35][36] Nantes (begins June 2, 2026), Pointe-à-Pitre,[39] Puerto Plata,[36] Puerto Vallarta,[36] Río Hato (begins December 20, 2026),[40] Samaná,[36] San José (CR) (begins December 15, 2026), Santa Clara,[36] Tulum,[36] Varadero[36]
American Eagle Seasonal: Charlotte,[41] Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth,[42] New York–JFK (begins August 5, 2026),[43] Philadelphia
PAL Airlines Gaspé, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Montréal–Trudeau,[32] Sept-Îles, Wabush[44]
Pascan Aviation Gaspé, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Montréal–Saint-Hubert
Porter Airlines Toronto–Billy Bishop,[33] Toronto-Pearson[45]
United Express Newark
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare,[46] Washington–Dulles[47]
WestJet Cancún, Punta Cana
Seasonal: Calgary,[48] Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur, Holguín, Montego Bay,[49] Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Río Hato, Santa Clara, Varadero

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
UPS Airlines
operated by Pascan Aviation 		Montréal–Mirabel
Map of North American passenger destinations
Destinations from Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Green = Seasonal destination
Blue = Future destination
Map of European passenger destinations
Destinations from Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Green = Seasonal destination
Blue = Future destination

Statistics

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PassengersYear300,000600,000900,0001,200,0001,500,0001,800,000200020052010201520202025PassengersAnnual passenger traffic
Terminal interior
Passenger statistics[4][50][51] and aircraft movements[3][52][53][54][55][56] for Jean Lesage International Airport
YearTotal passengersAAircraft movements
2000672,829142,612
2001642,767151,650
2002610,568135,646
2003628,545116,523
2004715,106109,180
2005793,735101,367
2006802,263109,031
2007899,612119,441
20081,022,862125,512
20091,035,026128,890
20101,190,088126,856
20111,313,432128,748
20121,342,840133,675
20131,475,717118,265
20141,574,699112,468
20151,584,713110,345
20161,615,750116,190
20171,670,880121,680
20181,774,871137,228
20191,789,005144,963
2020535,111117,390
2021353,203129,649
20221,174,321134,400
20231,688,736117,680
20241,737,803128,526
20251,819,553142,460
  • ^AStatistics prior to 2009 are from Transport Canada. From 2009 on, statistics are from Aéroport de Québec (ADQ). Transport Canada's statistics are consistently higher than those of ADQ.

Top domestic destinations

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Busiest domestic flights out of YQB by frequency
RankDestinations (operated by)Carriers
1 Montreal Air Canada, Air Transat, Air Inuit, PAL Airlines
2 Toronto Air Canada, WestJet
3 Saint-Hubert Pascan Aviation
4 Sept-Iles Air Canada, Air Inuit, Pascan Aviation
5 Gaspé Pascan Aviation, PAL Airlines

Top United States destinations

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Busiest transborder flights out of YQB by frequency
RankDestinations (operated by)Carriers
1 Newark United Airlines
2 Chicago American Airlines, United Airlines
3 Philadelphia American Airlines
4 Fort Lauderdale Air Transat, Air Canada
5 Orlando Air Transat

Top international destinations

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Busiest international flights out of YQB by frequency
RankDestinations (operated by)Carriers
1 Punta Cana Air Canada, Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines
2 Cancún Air Canada, Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines
3 Varadero Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines
4 Santa Clara Air Canada, Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines
5 Paris Air Transat, Air France

Access

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Public transportation to the airport is provided by Réseau de transport de la Capitale route 76 to Via Rail's Sainte-Foy station and route 80 to downtown.

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 9 September 1949, Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 108 on a flight from Montreal to Baie-Comeau with a stopover in Quebec City crash-landed east of Quebec City when a bomb exploded on board shortly after departing from Quebec City Jean Lesage Airport (then known as L'Ancienne-Lorette Airport), killing all 19 passengers and four crew. The incident and trial that followed would be known as the Albert Guay Affair.
  • On 29 March 1979, Quebecair Flight 255, a Fairchild F-27, crashed after take-off, killing 17 and injuring seven.
  • On 23 June 2010, a Beechcraft A100 King Air of Aeropro (registration C-FGIN) crashed north of the airport just after taking off from runway 30 (now runway 29), killing all seven people on board.[57]
  • On 12 October 2017, a drone collided with a passenger plane for the first time in North America. The drone struck the turboprop passenger plane operated by Skyjet Aviation while it was on approach. The drone was operating above the 90 m (300 ft) flight height restriction and within the 5 km (3.1 mi) exclusion zone around airports, violating drone operating regulations.[58][59]
  • On 1 August 2023, a Cessna 152 (C-FNBP) operated by Orizon Aviation Québec Inc. crashed in an almost-vertical, nose-down attitude onto a grassy area near Runway 24 at Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport following a bounced landing and unsuccessful go-around during a student pilot’s first solo flight, resulting in serious injuries.[60]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 27 November 2025 to 0901Z 22 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Synoptic/Metstat Station Information". weatheroffice.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Aircraft movements, by class of operation, airports with NAV CANADA services and other selected airports, monthly". Statistics Canada. February 29, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Statistics - Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec (YQB)". Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec (YQB). Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  5. ↑ Transport Canada (January 21, 2021). "Advisory Circular (AC) No. 302-032". 00000000 00000000.
  6. ↑ "Limites territoriales".
  7. 1 2 "Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport". Airport Technology. 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  8. ↑ Le Soleil (8 November 2010). "L'aéroport de Québec trop petit d'ici deux ans" (in French). Cyberpresse.ca. Archived from the original on 10 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  9. ↑ La Presse (4 July 2011). "L'aéroport de Québec s'agrandit (french)". Cyberpresse.ca. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  10. ↑ "Travellers to U.S. will soon be able to clear customs at Montreal's central train station - CBC News". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Young, Leslie. "More pre-clearance locations at airports, train stations mean easier travel to US: tourism association". Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Canada and U.S. agree to expand preclearance options for travellers, goods". 21 June 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Preclearance in Canada and the United States". 15 August 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Canada Flight Supplement.
  15. ↑ "Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)".
  16. ↑ "Avions-citernes utilisés pour combattre les incendies de forêt".
  17. ↑ "Premier Aviation - Maintenance, repair and overhaul services". Premier Aviation. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  18. ↑ "Nouvelles Récentes". Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Demolder, Damien (May 22, 2019). "Camera-friendly Canadian airport cuts holes in perimeter fence for aviation photographers". Digital Photography Review. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Designated Airspace Handbook".
  21. ↑ Canada Air Pilot 6. Nav Canada.
  22. ↑ "Air Liaison fleet".
  23. ↑ "The Québec City-Paris route with Air France is renewed! | Air France, Canada". The Québec City-Paris route with Air France is renewed! | Air France, Canada. Archived from the original on 2026-01-18. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  24. ↑ "Air Canada - Our Fleet". www.aircanada.com. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  25. ↑ "Air Transat Planes and Fleet". Air Transat. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  26. ↑ "The 10 Snowiest Cities in the World".
  27. ↑ "Ville de Québec – Weather". www.ville.quebec.qc.ca. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  28. ↑ "The Best Time to Visit | Visit Québec City". www.quebec-cite.com. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  29. ↑ Villamizar, Helwing (5 May 2025). "Air Canada Announces Major Winter Latin America Expansion". Airways. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  30. ↑ "Winter 2026-27: Air Canada adds Tenerife, Roatan, Santo Domingo, Merida, Mazatlan". paxnews.com. April 6, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Vancouver, BC, Canada YVR". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (1). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1184–1188. July 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  32. 1 2 "Montreal, QC, Canada YMQ". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (1). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 768–771. July 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  33. 1 2 "Toronto, ON, Canada YTO". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (1). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1156–1162. July 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  34. ↑ "Air France NS23 Quebec City Aircraft Changes". aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "Quebec, QC, Canada YQB". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (1). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 957–958. July 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Air Transat Expands Winter Schedule in Quebec: Connecting to Over 20 Sun-Drenched Destinations". aviacionline.com. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  37. ↑ "Air Transat Announces Three New International Routes and Boosts Year-Round Service for Summer 2026 Program". newswire.ca. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  38. ↑ "Air Transat Resumes 3 Routes in NS26". aeroroutes. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  39. ↑ "Air Transat Adds Quebec City – Pointe-a-Pitre Service in 1Q26". June 26, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Air Transat adds Canary Islands and expands YQB winter network". Travelweek. May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  41. ↑ "American Adds Charlotte – Quebec City From August 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  42. ↑ Shon, Stella (2024-12-23). "American Airlines Adds Flights to Quebec, Calgary, Bozeman, and More From These U.S. Hubs". Yahoo Life. Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  43. ↑ Selley, Natalia (February 4, 2026). "American Airlines Launches 2 Flights from New York JFK to Canada". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Wabush, NL, Canada YWK". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (1). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1204–1204. July 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  45. ↑ Villamizar, Helwing (2026-01-29). "Porter Airlines Adds Nashville, Expands Summer 2026". Airways.
  46. ↑ "United Resumes Winnipeg and Chicago – Quebec in NS24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  47. ↑ "United Adds 14 Routes for 2026". airlinegeeks. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  48. ↑ "Calgary, AB, Canada YYC". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (1). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 204–206. July 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  49. ↑ "WestJet announces expanded winter schedule with more sun destinations than ever before". Cision. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  50. ↑ Top 100 Airports Ranked by Enplaned and Deplaned Passengers, Selected Services or Passengers enplaned and deplaned on selected services — Top 50 airports, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, 2007 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  51. ↑ "Air Carrier Traffic at Canadian Airports: Table 1-1 — Passengers enplaned and deplaned on selected services — Top 50 airports". www.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  52. ↑ "Aircraft movements, by class of operation and peak hour and peak day of movements, for airports with NAV CANADA towers, monthly". Statistics Canada. 27 June 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  53. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. "Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report (TP 577): Table 2-1 — Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA towers". www.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  54. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. "Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report (TP 577): Table 2-1 — Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA towers". www.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  55. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. "Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report (TP 577): Table 2-1 — Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA towers". www.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  56. ↑ "TP577 - Aircraft Movement Statistics Annual Report. Transport Canada 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2008.
  57. ↑ CBC News (23 June 2010). "Quebec City plane crash cause unclear". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 June 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  58. ↑ "A first in Canada: Drone collides with passenger plane above Quebec City airport". CBC. 2017-10-15. Archived from the original on 2017-10-18.
  59. ↑ "Drone collides with commercial aeroplane in Canada". BBC. 2017-10-16. Archived from the original on 2017-10-18.
  60. ↑ Transportation Safety Board of Canada (2023-08-01). "Air transportation safety investigation report A23Q0088 - Transportation Safety Board of Canada". www.tsb.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
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