Ottawa Macdonald Cartier International Airport Arrivals (YOW)

Ottawa International Airport is commonly referred to as the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, in honour of Sirs John A. Macdonald and George-Etienne Cartier, and has been allocated the official airport code of YOW. It is a large airport, serving over four million passengers per annum, and is rated as the sixth largest in Canada. The airport is found just 10.2km, or 6.3 miles south of Ottawa city. The Ottawa International Airport arrival area is well equipped for the needs of its passengers, and a wide range of airline companies arrive at the airport from various worldwide destinations. The airport is not a hub for any airline company, but Ottawa is a focus city for some of the most popular Canadian airlines.

Ottawa is located in the Ontario province of Canada, south of the province of Quebec, to the west of Montreal city and to the northeast of Toronto, one of the largest cities in the country. Together with the Montreal-Trudeau and Toronto-Pearson Airports, Ottawa Airport forms part of the Eastern Triangle, one of the country’s busiest air corridors. The airport is found in the Riverside South area of Ottawa, nearby to the Hylands Golf Club, Blossom Park and Merivale.

The airport is served by a wide range of airline carriers, of which some of the most important include Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Porter, First Air, Air Transat and American Eagle. Flights arrive at Ottawa from many local destinations, such as Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna and Winnipeg, and from many cities in the United States as well, for example, Chicago, Boston, New York, Washington, Detroit, Las Vegas and Philadelphia. Additional airline companies and their international destinations include WestJet to Montego Bay, Orlando and Punta Cana, Republic Airlines to Charlotte, ExpressJet Airlines to Newark, Sunwing Airlines to Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Plata, CanJet to Cancun and Air Transat to the London-Gatwick Airport. Bearskin Airlines and Canadian North serve local destinations as well, including Yellowknife. The airport of Ottawa is open twenty-four hours a day for airline arrivals and departures.

Ottawa, as the sixth largest airport in Canada, handled over 4.5 million passengers in 2011. The majority of the airport passengers fly on domestic flights, but a significant number are on transborder and international flights as well. Passengers on domestic flights will collect their baggage from carousels 3 and 4 in the public area of the terminal, while passengers arriving on international flights will find their baggage carousels in the Canada Customs Hall. They will then proceed through Customs and Immigration before moving out of the arrival area. Connecting passengers may stay in the holdrooms if their luggage has been checked through to their next destination, otherwise, they will need to collect their belongings on the arrival level of the terminal (Level 1) to check-in once again. Passengers travelling to the United States will either collect their baggage from Level 3 or from Level 1 (if travelling with two different airline companies), and then move on to the check-in counters in the departure area. A US Customs declaration card will need to be completed, and then hold luggage should be dropped off prior to passing through security, US Customs and Immigration. Ottawa Airport is one of eight in Canada that have US border preclearance facilities.

Passengers who have arrived for a longer stay-over may wish to check into a hotel while they wait for their next flight. There are no hotels on the airport grounds, but a few are within easy reach, for example, the Days Inn at 366 Hunt Club Road and the Hilton Garden Inn at 2400 Alert Road. Both of these hotels have free shuttle services to and from the airport.

The single passenger terminal of Ottawa Airport is large, but fairly easy to navigate. There are plenty of airport shops and restaurants before and after the security control areas, therefore, arriving passengers who have time to spare can also stop for a bite to eat or to do some shopping. The airport has business meeting room facilities, with rooms able to accommodate up to sixteen people, automatic bank machines on all levels of the terminal and currency exchange facilities. Additional airport facilities include a chapel, two VIP lounges and luggage storage services. Travellers with young children will find baby changing rooms available, and disabled passengers have access to all areas of the building, as elevators and ramps are in place. Assistance can also be arranged with the airline company concerned prior to arrival.

Passengers on Ottawa International Airport arrival flights have access to a number of ground transport options, when they are ready to leave the airport. There are public buses (Route 97) operated by OC Transpo which travel to downtown Ottawa, and provide a connection to the Light Rail Transit system of the city. The buses are frequently available, and tickets can be purchased from the Ground Transportation Desk in the arrivals area. Taxis are also available, however, there is no airport train station. Arriving passengers could rent a car as well, from one of the car hire companies. They include Hertz, Avis, Europcar, National, Alamo, Enterprise, Budget and Auto Europa, and their rental counters are found in the airport Parkade, just opposite the terminal building. The car rental companies of the airport are open to meet the majority of the airport’s arrival flights, seven days a week.

Tourists arriving at Ottawa will find many attractions in the city. The most popular include river cruises along the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River, a visit to the Canadian Mint, various events and activities at the Dows Lake Pavilion, and tours on the Gray Line Ottawa Trolley Buses, which provide insight to the rich heritage of the city. Tourist information is available at the airport, and live Ottawa International Airport arrival schedules can be viewed online. The airport can also be contacted at the following numbers: 613-248-2125 or 613-248-2141.