Ottawa Macdonald Cartier International Airport Departures (YOW)

Ottawa International Airport is the sixth largest facility for air travel in Canada, with over four million passengers per annum. The airport is located in the province of Ontario, and is part of the Eastern Triangle, formed by the airports of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. the airport is also only 10.2km, or 6.3 miles south of Downtown Ottawa. Another name for the airport is the Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, and it has the official airport code of YOW. Ottawa International Airport departures are offered by a large number of airline carriers, and the airplanes of the airport travel to a variety of destinations. The airport departure area of the terminal is well equipped for its passengers as well, with all the facilities required at an airport of this size.

Ottawa International Airport is found in the Riverside South area of Ottawa, and can be accessed by a number of roads. The Airport Parkway is the road leading to the airport terminal, and is connected to Bronson Avenue and Hunt Club Road. The nearest large highway is the Trans-Canada Highway 714, or the Queensway Highway, that runs just south of downtown Ottawa. It is also used in order to reach the main roads that lead to the airport. Departing passengers will find plenty of parking options at the airport. The Parkade building has 3,000 spaces available, and is just a two minute walk from the terminal, while the Long-term car park has 500 spaces, and is also within walking distance of the check-in area. Buses and taxis serve the airport as well, but there is no train station on the airport grounds. The Route 97 public bus operated by OC Transpo runs to the airport from various downtown locations, and is a connection to the LRT (Light Rail Transit system) of Ottawa.

The Ottawa International Airport departure areas are on the upper levels of the single terminal building. Level 3 is where the check-in counters for flights can be found, while Level 2 is used for security screening processes. Level 1 is the arrival area. Passengers are recommended to be at the airport at least two hours before a domestic or transborder flight, and at least three hours before an international flight. This will secure enough time to find parking, check-in hold luggage and pass through security. All passengers undergo security screening at Ottawa Airport prior to boarding an aircraft, and the process is handled by the Canadian Air Transportation Security Authority. Infants and older children will also need to pass through security. At the airport, in order to help travellers with small children, there is a dedicated family screening line, where security officials are familiar with passing children through the screening process.

The airline ticket purchased for your flight contains valuable information regarding check-in times of your airline company and baggage allowances. Each airline company has different regulations, and may be contacted for further details. Ensure that your hold and hand luggage does not contain any restricted items, and that it is of the correct size and weight. Although any amount of liquids may be carried in hold luggage, only a total of one litre may be carried in hand luggage, unless the items were purchased at stores beyond the security check-point. Liquid items should be placed in separate containers of no more than 100ml, and should be given to the security personnel in a transparent and re-sealable plastic bag. Exceptions to this rule are made for passengers who are carrying milk and food items for babies, and for those who have prescription medications. Facilities for passengers with children at the airport include baby changing stations, nursing rooms and family washrooms. Baby supplies such as diapers can also be purchased at select Relay stores, and many of the airport restaurants have kiddies’ menus available.

The large terminal building of Ottawa International Airport has a variety of facilities for departing and arriving passengers. On each level of the building, there are bank machines, and on Level 2 of the domestic, international and transborder holdrooms, there are currency exchange services. The Maple Leaf Lounge of the airport is operated by Air Canada, and is open to select Air Canada customers and Star Alliance Gold cardholders. It is one of the twenty award-winning lounges at airports in Canada, offering a comfortable and relaxing area in which to wait for your flight. Complimentary light snacks and beverages are available, as well as newspapers, magazines, televisions and wireless internet connections. The Porter Lounge is found in the domestic/international holdroom, and is open to all passengers flying with Porter. Business passengers will also find boardroom services at Ottawa Airport. There are six meeting room facilities, some of which are able to seat up to sixteen people.

Additional airport facilities include a chapel, luggage storage services, lost and found services and a large selection of airport shops and restaurants. The food court of the terminal is found on Level 3, and is therefore convenient for departing passengers, with restaurants such as Harvey’s/Swiss Chalet, the Rideau Bar and Grill, Tim Hortons and Second Cup. Some of the airport shops available include the AerRianta International Duty Free Store, the Transborder Store, Artizan, Bentley, Brookstone, Discover Ottawa, Junogems and Relay.

Although the airport is not a hub for any airline carrier, it is a focus city for the airline companies of Air Canada, Air Canada Express and WestJet. Ottawa International Airport departures are offered by many other airline companies as well, including Jazz Air, Air Transat, American Eagle, Bearskin Airlines, Canadian North, Pinnacle Airlines, First Air, Sunwing Airlines, Porter Airlines, Shuttle America, SkyWest Airlines and US Airways Express, operated by Air Wisconsin. The local destinations served from Ottawa include Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Halifax and Montreal-Trudeau, while US destinations include Chicago, New York, Detroit, Washington-Dulles and Las Vegas.

Live Ottawa International Airport departures are found on websites online, or further details regarding airport information can be obtained by contacting the airport at 613-248-2125, between 09:00 and 21:00, any day of the week.