Halifax International Airport Arrivals (YHZ)

Halifax International Airport is one of the most important air gateways to the Nova Scotia province of Canada, and it primarily serves the city of Halifax, and its surrounding towns in mainland Nova Scotia. The airport is otherwise referred to as the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, in honour of Robert L. Stanfield, a Premier of the region, and has the official IATA code of YHZ. Many airline companies arrive at the airport from a wide variety of destinations, and the Halifax International Airport arrival area is well equipped for the needs of its passengers. Arriving passengers will also find several forms of ground transport available from directly outside the terminal building.

Halifax International Airport is located approximately 35km, or 22 miles north of Halifax city, and in the area of Enfield. It is also close by to the town of Elmsdale, and the lakes of Tuft, Bennery and Shubenacadie. Oldham is to the north, Goffs is just east of the airport grounds and Wellington is found to the west. A large number of tourists arrive at Halifax Airport, as the area of Atlantic Canada, made up of the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, are well known for their spectacular coastlines, boasting numerous seaside activities. Hiking, nature viewing and walking along the sand are most popular. Halifax is also the largest city in Nova Scotia, and the capital city of the province. It is perhaps most famous for the areas of Peggy’s Cove and The Cabot Trail, but has many other attractions as well.

Flights arrive at Halifax International Airport from a number of Canadian destinations, including Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, Deer Lake, St. John’s, Goose Bay, Moncton and Sydney. Passengers can also reach the airport from many international countries, and cities in the United States. Some international destinations served by the airport’s airline companies include London, Frankfurt, St. Pierre, Cancun, Bermuda, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta and Newark. Flights from the majority of these destinations are direct, non-stop flights operated by airline companies such as Air Canada, WestJet Airlines, Porter Airlines, Air Transat, Air St. Pierre, Condor, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Halifax International Airport has been one of the top airports in the world for many years, and has won several awards for its excellent passenger service. In the 2005 AETRA survey, it was voted as the best airport in the Americas for the second year in a row, as the airport with the best domestic service and as the best airport in the category of less than five million passengers per annum for the third year in a row. The airport also received the ‘Best Airport in the World’ award for its class in 2010 for the seventh consecutive year. In the most recent year (2011), Halifax Airport won the prize for the third ‘Best Airport in North America’ and the third ‘Best Airport by Size’. Arriving passengers can therefore expect to be well received at Halifax Airport, and to be provided with only professional and friendly assistance. The airport terminal building has several information points, and is also circulated by airport volunteers (wearing tartan-vests), who are willing to help with any enquiry.

Although the airport has no meeting room facilities, several hotels in the nearby vicinity are available for business services. These include the Quality Inn, the Hilton Garden Inn and the Holiday Inn Express. The first mentioned is only one kilometre from the airport, while the other two are just three kilometres away. All hotels nearby offer free shuttle services for their guests. Two hotels a little further away are The Quaich Bed and Breakfast in Oakfield (9km) and the Inn On The Lake (10km). The airport has a very informative Visitor Information Centre for arriving passengers, in the domestic arrival area, where information is available regarding transport and accommodations in the area. The Centre has many brochures and maps which could be useful for visitors, and friendly travel counsellors are available to answer questions. The Centre is open from 09:00 to 21:00, seven days a week. They also have an email address, at vic-airport@gov.ca.

Further facilities at Halifax International Airport include a vast variety of airport shops and restaurants, found before and after the security check points, eight DirectCash ATMs (one is in the domestic arrivals hall), one full-service Royal Bank of Canada machine, lost and found services, short-term luggage storage services, postal services and currency exchange facilities offered by Travelex Canada and a chapel. The airport terminal is completely accessible to arriving disabled passengers, with many facilities adapted for their comfort. If special assistance is required, a three week notice period should be provided.

Passengers on Halifax International Airport arrival flights who are ready to leave the airport can travel by several forms of transport. The Airporter shuttle bus takes passengers to a number of hotel locations in downtown Halifax, leaving approximately every hour from outside the arrival area, and certain long-distance bus services may also be available. Alternatively, passengers could hire a taxi from the taxi rank (a trip to downtown Halifax will cost approximately $50.00), or rent a car, from one of the Halifax International Airport car hire companies. They include Hertz, Avis, Budget, Auto Europa, Thrifty, Dollar, National, Alamo, Europcar and Enterprise.

Passengers who require more information regarding Halifax arrivals can contact the airport at the following details: Telephone number 902-873-4422, and email address, info@hiaa.ca. Details for Halifax International Airport arrival flights can be found online as well.