Hamilton, Ontario: Airport Or No?

Yes, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is served by the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (IATA: YHM, ICAO: CYHM). The airport is located in the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southwest of Downtown Hamilton and 64 km (40 mi) southwest of Toronto. It is named after John Carr Munro, a longtime Member of Parliament for Hamilton East. The airport opened in 1940 as Mount Hope Airport, primarily serving as a Royal Canadian Air Force base.

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport

The airport is situated in the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, around 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) southwest of Downtown Hamilton and 64 kilometres (40 miles) southwest of Toronto. It primarily serves the city of Hamilton and nearby areas of Southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area. Notably, it is the closest relief airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport that is capable of accommodating jet aircraft.

Over the years, the airport has undergone various changes in management and airline partnerships. In 1996, Hamilton-Wentworth signed a 40-year contract with a consortium of private companies for management and operations. WestJet expanded to the eastern region of Canada in 2000, choosing Hamilton as its hub, but later moved its hub to Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2004. Other airlines that have served the airport include Continental Airlines, CanJet, Air Canada Jazz, Flyglobespan, and Norwegian Air Shuttle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport experienced a 60% reduction in passenger services while maintaining peak cargo operations, playing a crucial role in the importation of medical supplies, including Canada's first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The airport features two asphalt runways: a larger one measuring 10,006 feet by 200 feet (3,050 metres by 61 metres) and a smaller one measuring 6,010 feet by 150 feet (1,832 metres by 46 metres). These runways are equipped with centreline lighting for low-visibility operations and can accommodate large cargo aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Antonov An-124.

Airport location and distance from Downtown Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada is served by the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, also known as Hamilton Airport or Hamilton International. The airport is located in the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, about 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) southwest of Downtown Hamilton and 64 kilometres (40 miles) southwest of Toronto. It can be reached in 20 minutes from downtown Hamilton.

The airport is named after John Carr Munro, a longtime Member of Parliament for Hamilton East. It first opened in 1940 as Mount Hope Airport, primarily serving as a Royal Canadian Air Force base. The airport is currently the third-largest cargo airport in Canada and the largest overnight express cargo airport in the country. It features a 10,006 ft x 200 ft (3,050 m x 61 m) asphalt runway with centreline lighting for low-visibility operations and a smaller 6,010 ft x 150 ft (1,832 m x 46 m) asphalt runway, capable of handling large cargo aircraft such as the Boeing 747 or Antonov An-124.

Hamilton International offers a range of transportation options to and from the airport. The Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operates the 20 A-Line Express bus route, providing limited-stop service from the airport to the Hamilton GO Centre and West Harbour GO Station. Megabus also offers daily express service between the airport and Toronto, with one trip per day to and from the Union Station Bus Terminal as of 2024. Additionally, the King Shuttle provides pre-booked services to destinations in the Greater Toronto Area, including Toronto Pearson International Airport and Toronto Union Station.

The airport serves as a hub for ultra-low-cost carriers and domestic low-cost carriers, providing flights to select destinations in the USA and beyond. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport experienced a 60% reduction in passenger services while maintaining peak levels of cargo operations. Hamilton International is conveniently located for travellers, offering efficient access to flights and serving as a key entry point for imported medical supplies, including Canada's first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December 2020.

Airport transport links

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (IATA: YHM, ICAO: CYHM) is located in the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southwest of Downtown Hamilton and 64 km (40 mi) southwest of Toronto. The airport is named after John Carr Munro, a longtime Member of Parliament for Hamilton East.

There are several transport options for travellers to and from the airport. The Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operates the 20 A-Line Express bus route, a limited-stop service from the airport to Hamilton GO Centre and West Harbour GO Station. Megabus provides daily express service between the airport and Toronto, with one trip a day to and from the Union Station Bus Terminal. King Shuttle offers a pre-booked service from the airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto Union Station, other destinations in the Greater Toronto Area, and Niagara Falls.

Taxi services are available at the airport, with a drop-off and pick-up zone located directly across the street from the Arrivals doors. Ridesharing services such as Lyft and Uber also operate to and from the airport, with a designated pick-up and drop-off zone along the terminal curb at the west end of the sidewalk. Limo and shuttle services can be arranged directly with service providers, but they are not regularly scheduled.

For travellers with mobility aids, accessible ground transportation options are available and should be pre-arranged with the service provider.

Airlines operating at the airport

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, or Hamilton Airport, is located in Mount Hope, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southwest of Downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is a small airport with limited food options and stores, but it offers modern amenities, clean toilets, and accessibility for disabled persons. The airport provides a smooth boarding process and is praised for its friendly staff.

Several airlines operate at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, including Swoop, Flair Airlines, Canada Jetlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and WestJet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport experienced a 60% reduction in passenger services, but it maintained peak levels of cargo operations, playing a crucial role in the transportation of medical supplies, including Canada's first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

In 2018, ultra-low-cost carriers Swoop, Flair Airlines, and Canada Jetlines selected Hamilton as a hub for service to the Greater Toronto region. However, Flair Airlines shifted its operations to Toronto-Pearson in mid-2018, and Air Canada Express ended its service to Montreal in early 2019. Despite these changes, Swoop continued to operate at the airport, and in 2020, Norwegian Air Shuttle introduced transatlantic service to Dublin, a route that had not been served in over a decade.

In addition to these carriers, Icelandic airline Play announced plans to offer flights between Hamilton and Reykjavik in June 2023, providing connections to various parts of Europe. Transat also operates at the airport, and there are nonstop flights available to Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

Hamilton Airport is accessible by public transit, with bus services connecting the airport to Hamilton GO Centre and West Harbour GO Station. The Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operates a limited-stop bus route to and from the airport, and Megabus provides daily express service between Hamilton Airport and Toronto.

History of the airport

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, or Hamilton Airport, is located in Mount Hope, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southwest of Downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The airport opened in 1940 as Mount Hope Airport, a Royal Canadian Air Force base. During World War II, the base hosted two units for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan: No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School and No. 33 Air Navigation School.

After the war ended, the base gradually transitioned to civil use, attracting regional and international passenger services with connections to major Canadian cities and seasonal destinations in the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The military ceased using the airport as a base for Air Reserve operations in 1964. From 1969 to 1985, Nordair operated jet services from Hamilton to Montreal, Grand Bahama Island, and Windsor. Other airlines that served the airport during this period include City Express, Tempus Air, USAir, Pan Am Express, and Nationair, which offered flights to London, England.

In the early 1980s, John Munro, a longtime Member of Parliament for Hamilton East, secured a $55 million federal investment to expand and develop the airport's facilities. Construction began in 1981, and by 1986, the expanded facility was attracting larger aircraft and accommodating increased passenger and cargo traffic. In 1993, a fire destroyed Hangar 3 and one of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum hangars, leading to the announcement of a $12 million grant for the development of a new museum. In 1996, the City of Hamilton selected local businessman Tony Battaglia and the Vancouver Airport Authority's TradePort International Corporation Ltd. to manage and operate the airport under a 40-year lease agreement.

In 2017, the airport experienced an 80% increase in passengers, reaching 600,000, although this was still below its capacity of 3 million per year. In 2018, ultra-low-cost carriers such as Swoop and Flair Airlines chose Hamilton as a hub for service to the Greater Toronto region. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the airport saw a 60% reduction in passenger services while maintaining peak levels of cargo operations. It served as a key entry point for imported medical supplies, including Canada's first shipment of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. In January 2023, Icelandic airline Play announced plans to introduce flights between Hamilton and Reykjavík, re-establishing service to Europe. However, this route is scheduled to end on April 23, 2025.

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