Quebec's Main Airport: All You Need To Know

what is the main airport in quebec canada

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Jean Lesage International Airport, is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada. Located 10.5 miles west of the city, it is the second-busiest airport in the province of Quebec and the 12th busiest airport in Canada, handling 1,737,803 passengers in 2024. The airport has been in operation since 1941 and offers non-stop flights to destinations across Canada and internationally.

Characteristics Values
Name Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Other names Jean Lesage International Airport, Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec, Aéroport de Québec, YQB International Airport, Quebec City Airport
Location 10.5-17 km west of Quebec City, Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge borough
IATA code YQB
ICAO code CYQB
Ranking Second-busiest airport in the province of Québec, 12th-busiest airport in Canada in 2024
Number of airlines More than 10
Number of destinations 36
Number of countries with direct flights 8
Number of gates 17 (12 contact gates and five walk-out aircraft positions)
Number of runways 2
Length of the longest runway 9,000 ft
Width of the longest runway 150 ft
Number of taxiways 7
Bus routes 76 and 80
Amenities Shops, bars, restaurants, free WiFi, ATMs, coat check, baggage storage

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Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) is the main airport in Quebec, Canada

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport offers a range of passenger amenities, including shops, bars, restaurants, free WiFi, ATMs, coat check, and baggage storage. It also has a sunglasses boutique and a restaurant accessible to passengers and accompanying persons before the security checkpoint. The airport has two runways, with the longest one being 9,000 by 150 feet in length. There are also seven taxiways designed to accommodate light to large aircraft simultaneously.

The airport serves as a hub for several airlines, including Air Canada Express, Air Transat, Pascan Aviation, Porter Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, and WestJet. It offers non-stop flights to various destinations across Canada and international flights to the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. In 2025, the airport expanded its terminal building, increasing the number of gates from 17 to 24.

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport has a tragic history, with several crashes occurring over the years. In 1949, a Canadian Pacific Air Lines flight crash-landed shortly after departing from the airport, killing all 19 passengers and four crew members. In 1979, a Quebecair Flight crashed after take-off, resulting in 17 fatalities and seven injuries. More recently, in 2010, a Beechcraft A100 King Air crashed just after taking off, claiming the lives of all seven people on board.

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The airport is located 14-17km west of Quebec City

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as YQB International Airport, is located 14-17km west of Quebec City. The airport is the second-largest in the province of Quebec and the twelfth-busiest in Canada, serving 1,737,803 passengers in 2024.

The airport is accessible via public transportation from Réseau de transport de la Capitale bus routes 76 and 80, which connect to Via Rail's Sainte-Foy station and downtown Quebec City, respectively. It is also reachable by car, with a distance of approximately 14km from the city centre.

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport has two runways, with the longest being 9,000 by 150 feet (2,743 by 46 metres) in a northeast-southwesterly direction. The airport accommodates various long-, mid-, and short-haul aircraft, including wide-body jet airliners such as the Boeing 747-400.

The airport offers a range of passenger amenities, including shops, bars, restaurants, free WiFi, ATMs, coat check, and baggage storage. It also has a sunglasses boutique accessible to all passengers after the security checkpoint.

YQB International Airport serves as a hub for several airlines, including Air Canada Express, Air Transat, Pascan Aviation, Porter Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, and WestJet. These airlines provide non-stop flights to destinations across Canada and international flights to the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.

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YQB has two runways and 17 gates, with seven taxiways

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Jean Lesage International Airport and YQB International Airport, is the main airport in Quebec, Canada. It is located 17km (10.5 miles) west of Quebec City, in the Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge borough. YQB is the second-busiest airport in the province of Quebec, handling about 1.6 million passengers in 2014. In 2024, it was the 12th-busiest airport in Canada, with 1,737,803 passengers.

The airport has a range of passenger amenities, including shops, bars, restaurants, free WiFi, ATMs, coat check, and baggage storage. It offers nonstop flights to destinations across Canada and international flights to the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. More than ten airlines provide 360 weekly flights to various destinations.

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The airport offers non-stop flights to destinations across Canada and internationally

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Jean Lesage International Airport and YQB International Airport, is located 10.5 to 14 miles west of Quebec City, Canada. It is the primary airport serving Quebec City and the second-largest airport in the province of Quebec. The airport offers non-stop flights to destinations across Canada and internationally.

More than ten airlines offer 360 weekly flights to destinations across Canada, including Montreal, Ottawa, Saguenay, Toronto, Val-d'Or, Vancouver, and Rouyn-Noranda. In 2014, the airport handled about 1.6 million passengers, and in 2024, it was the 12th-busiest airport in Canada, with 1,737,803 passengers.

Internationally, the airport offers flights to the United States, including Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, New York, Orlando, and Philadelphia. There are also flights to Europe, including Paris, and to Central America, including Cancún. In addition, there are flights to the Caribbean and Mexico. The airport has two runways, with the longest one being 9,000 by 150 feet in length, and it can accommodate light to large aircraft.

The airport has a variety of passenger amenities, including shops, bars, restaurants, free WiFi, ATMs, coat check, and baggage storage. It also has a sunglasses boutique and a restaurant before the security checkpoint. The airport charges an Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) of $35 per passenger, which is among the highest in Canada.

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Airlines operating from YQB include Air Canada, Air Transat, Porter Airlines, and WestJet

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec or YQB, is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada. It is located 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) west of the city, in the Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge borough. YQB is the second-busiest airport in the province of Québec and handled about 1.6 million passengers in 2014. In 2024, it was the 12th-busiest airport in Canada, with 1,737,803 passengers.

The airport has undergone significant expansion and modernisation projects over the years, including the construction of new runways, taxiways, and de-icing pads, as well as enhancements to customer service facilities. The terminal building has also been expanded, with the addition of more gates and improved baggage handling areas. YQB offers passengers a range of amenities, including shops, bars, restaurants, free WiFi, ATMs, coat check, and baggage storage.

YQB is easily accessible via public transportation, with Réseau de transport de la Capitale providing bus routes to the airport from the city centre and Via Rail's Sainte-Foy station. The airport has a rich history, first established as a training facility for air observers in 1939, with the first flight taking place on September 11, 1941. It has undergone several name changes over the years and was renamed Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec in honour of a former Quebec Premier, Jean Lesage.

Frequently asked questions

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Jean Lesage International Airport or YQB International Airport, is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada.

The airport is located 14-17 km west of Quebec City.

The airport has two runways.

The IATA code is YQB and the ICAO code is CYQB.

In 2024, the airport was the 12th busiest in Canada, handling 1,737,803 passengers.

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