YOWlarge airport

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

Ottawa, Canada

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Routes out

Destinations

CYOW

ICAO

374 ft

Elevation

TravelerPulse profile

Canada's capital gateway serving Ottawa and the National Capital Region.

Opened

1928

Location

Ottawa, Canada

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (IATA: YOW, ICAO: CYOW) is the primary commercial airport serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's federal capital. Named in honour of Canada's first two Prime Ministers, Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier, it handles millions of passengers annually and connects the capital to domestic and international destinations. The airport is operated by the Ottawa International Airport Authority and is located approximately 10 kilometres south of downtown Ottawa. It serves as an important hub for government travel and diplomatic traffic given its proximity to federal institutions. A major terminal redevelopment completed in the 2000s significantly modernized the facility, expanding capacity and improving passenger amenities. The airport handles scheduled passenger service, cargo operations, and general aviation.

Terminals

The airport operates a single integrated terminal building with both domestic and international processing facilities under one roof.

Getting to & from

Ground transport options include taxis, ride-share services, and OC Transpo bus routes connecting the airport to downtown Ottawa and the city's light rail transit network.

Airlines here

Major carriers include Air Canada, WestJet, and Porter Airlines, alongside international carriers such as Air Transat and various U.S. cross-border operators.

Notable facts

›Named after Canada's first two Prime Ministers, Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier.
›Located approximately 10 km south of downtown Ottawa.
›Operated by the Ottawa International Airport Authority, a non-share capital corporation.
›A major terminal expansion and modernization was completed in 2008.
›The airport is a key hub for Canadian government and diplomatic travel.

Official website Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (26 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Air North Charter - Canada

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Lufthansa

Lufthansa Cargo

Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight

Routes

YOW → YZF4N · 737

YOW → YFB5T · 73M

YOW → YFB7F · 73M

YOW → CLTAA · CRJ

YOW → PHLAA · CRJ

YOW → BOSAC · DH1

YOW → DCAAC · CRJ

YOW → FRAAC · 333

YOW → IADAC · ERJ

YOW → LGAAC · CRJ

YOW → LHRAC · 763

YOW → ORDAC · ERJ E70

YOW → YEGAC · E90 320

YOW → YFCAC · DH1

YOW → YHZAC · E90

YOW → YQBAC · DH1

YOW → YQMAC · CRJ

YOW → YULAC · E90

YOW → YVRAC · 320 763

YOW → YWGAC · CRA

YOW → YXUAC · DH1

YOW → YYCAC · E90 320

YOW → YYTAC · CRA

YOW → YYZAC · 320 319 E90 763 E75

YOW → DTWDL · CRJ

YOW → YYZKL · 737

YOW → FRALH · 333

YOW → LHRLH · 763

YOW → YFBMO · 73M

YOW → YHZPD · DH4

YOW → YQMPD · DH4

YOW → YTZPD · DH4

YOW → BOSUA · DH1

YOW → EWRUA · ERJ E70

YOW → IADUA · ERJ

YOW → LGAUA · CRJ

YOW → ORDUA · ERJ E70

YOW → CLTUS · CRJ

YOW → PHLUS · CRJ

YOW → YEGWS · 73W

YOW → YHZWS · 73W

YOW → YWGWS · 73W

YOW → YYCWS · 73W 736

YOW → YYTWS · 73W

YOW → YYZWS · 736 73W

Aircraft operating here

CRJ9 routes 73W6 routes De Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 / 8Q5 routes ERJ5 routes Embraer 1905 routes Boeing 767-3004 routes Airbus A3204 routes 73M3 routes Embraer 1703 routes De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 Dash 8Q3 routes Boeing 7372 routes Airbus A330-3002 routes

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Encyclopaedia

Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International Airport or simply Ottawa International Airport is the main international airport serving the National Capital Region of Canada which contains the cities of Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. Located 8 nautical miles south of downtown Ottawa in the south end of the city, it is Canada's sixth-busiest airport, Ontario's second-busiest airport by airline passenger traffic, with 4,866,236 passengers in 2025. The airport is a major hub for Porter Airlines, a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat and a home base for Canadian North. The airport is named after the Canadian statesmen and two of the "founding fathers of Canada", Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier.

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