Montreal-Mirabel International Airport (Aéroport international Montréal-Mirabel) is an airport in Mirabel, Quebec, near Montreal. It uses the IATA Airport Code YMX. It was constructed as part of a major project by the Canadian federal government under Pierre Trudeau, for Montreal, originally to replace Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (then known as Dorval Airport).

It was anticipated that a new airport away from the city, but with reliable passenger rail links, would be successful; however, debates between levels of government moved the site further from the city than reasonably reachable, and the only passenger links are by a long road drive.

Dorval was flooded at the time due to jets to many locations using Dorval as a stopover to refuel. However, the advent of longer range aircraft caused airplanes stop landing to refuel there. As a result, Dorval was no longer overcrowded.

Since Dorval's capacity problem was relieved, the sizeable Mirabel project remained unnecessary. It has since become quite costly to maintain the airport. The issues surrounding it, including the expropriation of large swaths of prime farmland, are controversial to this day.

Montreal-Mirabel International Airport now used exclusively for cargo flights, passenger operations having ceased on October 31, 2004 after many years of limited, primarily charter service. [1] (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/10/31/mirabel_041031.html)[2] (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1099074224073_94483424/?hub=CTVNewsAt11)

On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, which was flying on a Montreal-London-Delhi-Bombay route, exploded in midair, killing all of the passengers aboard.

External link

• Aéroports de Montréal (http://www.admtl.com/admmaintext.jsp?idbin=218000&pagetitle=Home)