--- iata: YHZ name: Halifax Stanfield International Airport city: Halifax country: Canada lastUpdated: '2026-09-09' officialWebsite: 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/' sources: - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/' - >- https://halifaxstanfield.ca/news-releases/international-travel-drives-increased-traffic-at-halifax-stanfield/ - >- https://halifaxstanfield.ca/airport-authority/media-centre/airport-facts-and-stats/ - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/travel-planning/travel-tips/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/travel-planning/security-screening/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/parking-transport/parking/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/parking-transport/buses-and-shuttles/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/parking-transport/taxis-and-limos/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/parking-transport/rideshare/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/parking-transport/standby-lot/' - >- https://halifaxstanfield.ca/while-youre-here/airport-services/air-canada-maple-leaf-lounge/ - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/while-youre-here/dining/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/while-youre-here/shopping/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/while-youre-here/airport-services/free-wi-fi/' - 'https://halifaxstanfield.ca/airport-authority/who-we-are/icf/' - >- https://halifaxstanfield.ca/news-releases/connecting-made-easy-as-1-2-3-new-facility-at-halifax-stanfield-simplifies-international-to-domestic-travel/ - >- https://halifaxstanfield.ca/news-releases/welcome-to-mikmaki-halifax-stanfields-newly-renovated-international-arrivals-space-celebrates-indigenous-culture-2/ - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en/lounges/canada' - 'https://www.halifax.ca/transportation/halifax-transit/routes-schedules' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Stanfield_International_Airport' quickFacts: - >- Single passenger terminal in Goffs, Nova Scotia, ~40 km / 25 mi from downtown Halifax on Highway 102 Exit 6; operator Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) since 1 Feb 2000; Transport Canada owner; ICAO CYHZ - >- 4,140,668 passengers in 2025 (+4.0% vs 3,979,785 in 2024) — official HIAA release corrected 11 Feb 2026 (Wikipedia still prints the pre-adjustment 4,140,484). Split: 3,271,046 domestic / 343,270 transborder / 526,352 international - >- Two sterile products: Central CATSA for domestic and non-U.S. international, and a separate U.S. CBP preclearance stream. Official HIAA: CBP open 05:00–17:00; every U.S. passenger must be processed by 16:30 regardless of departure time - >- Live Priority Pass Canada index has no Halifax / YHZ pin. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge has been closed since 1 Oct 2025 for an ~18-month rebuild (official HIAA: early 2027). Do not invent Plaza Premium / Aspire / a pay lounge - >- No rail. Halifax Transit Regional Express 320 is the public downtown link (Silver Dart Dr / airport ↔ Barrington St / Scotia Square via Bridge Terminal and Fall River). Official HIAA cash fare: adults/students CAD $4.75, seniors CAD $3.25, children 0–12 free; tickets at the Arrivals Ground Transportation Booth 24/7 - >- Atlantic Canada’s only U.S. preclearance airport and the only one in the region with international-to-domestic sterile connections via the International Connections Facility (upper level opened 2 Jul 2025; renovated international arrivals opened 16 Jan 2026 — select flights only) bentoTips: - label: Timing title: 'Budget CBP separately — last processing is 16:30' detail: >- A short CATSA wait does not help a U.S. itinerary. After U.S. check-in, follow the U.S. Departures signs into preclearance. Evening U.S. metal is not a lounge night — there is no airside lounge at all while Maple Leaf is closed, and the U.S. holdroom is thinner than the main hall. summary: >- U.S. departures add a second border on top of CATSA. HIAA’s published CBP window is 05:00–17:00, and every passenger must be processed by 16:30 regardless of the scheduled departure. category: timing - label: Terminal title: Pick the correct sterile hall first detail: >- Connecting domestic→U.S. is a re-clear, not a stroll. International→domestic on select flights can now stay sterile through the ICF — confirm on the boarding pass / airline app, because ending passengers still walk the public international arrivals hall. summary: >- One building, two products — domestic/international via Central Security, United States via the CBP wing. Swing gates 22–24 and 26–28 become 52–54 and 56–58 when used for U.S. departures. category: terminal - label: Food title: Eat before you go into U.S. preclearance detail: >- The official dining directory splits Before Security / After Security (Domestic & International) / US Departures. Trust today’s what’s-open board — operator pages still mark some U.S. concepts as coming soon. Maple Leaf will not feed you until early 2027. summary: >- Density is better in the domestic/international hall (Tim Hortons after security from 03:30, Firkin & Flyer, Pizza Box, Connected Coffee) than after CBP. category: food - label: Status title: Priority Pass does nothing here detail: >- Chase Sapphire Reserve’s lounge map can still show a Maple Leaf pin near Gate 20; that room is boarded up. Alt Hotel (covered walkway from the parkade/terminal) is the paid quiet-space workaround, not a lounge substitute on a tight connection. summary: >- Live Priority Pass Canada lists Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Québec, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg — not Halifax. Maple Leaf is closed until early 2027. category: status lounges: - name: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge zone: Airside; historically next to Gate 20 (confirm signage when it reopens) hours: Closed 1 Oct 2025 until early 2027 (official HIAA; ~18-month rebuild) access: - >- Air Canada / Rouge / Express or Star Alliance operated flight with qualifying cabin or status — when the room reopens - >- Maple Leaf Club / eligible Aeroplan pathways (confirm Air Canada app) — not available during the rebuild - >- Not Priority Pass, not a day-pass product, not for U.S. preclearance departures bestFor: - Eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance passengers — after early 2027 only summary: >- The airport’s only airline lounge is boarded up until early 2027 — do not plan a meal or a shower here, and do not treat stale Chase / aggregator pins as a live room. verdict: skip terminal: Domestic-International amenities: - Closed for a first full renovation in 30 years - >- HIAA: nearly double the previous floor area, coastal Nova Scotia design, full-service bar when it reopens waterOptions: - kind: refill name: Airside bottle fillers by restrooms zone: airside summary: >- HIAA does not publish a filler map; these two pins are the best-documented airside stations. Empty the bottle at CATSA, then fill here instead of buying airside. location: >- Traveler-documented fillers across from Gate 16 by the washrooms and at the toilets opposite Gate 24 after Central Security terminal: Domestic-International isBestValue: true isBestQuality: true - kind: purchase name: Tim Hortons (after security) zone: airside price: typically CAD $3–5 for a 500–600 ml bottle summary: >- Earliest official airside coffee shop (listed 03:30–20:00). Sealed bottles when the Gate 16 / Gate 24 fillers are a long walk from your gate. location: >- Official Tim Hortons Canada pin at 747 Bell Blvd Post Security in the domestic/international holdroom terminal: Domestic-International - kind: purchase name: Hudson / holdroom retail zone: airside price: typically CAD $3–5 for a 500–600 ml bottle summary: >- Newsstand bottles next to the closed Maple Leaf frontage — convenient, not the value play. location: Official shopping directory lists Hudson at Gate 20 after security terminal: Domestic-International - kind: purchase name: Landside Tim Hortons / food court bottles zone: landside price: typically CAD $3–5 for a 500–600 ml bottle summary: >- Fine if you need a sealed bottle before screening; you will dump liquids at CATSA, so this is not the value play. location: >- Before-security food court and the landside Tim Hortons on the public side of Central Security terminal: Landside airportistScore: 6.9 slug: yhz region: North America --- > Markdown for [/airports/yhz](/airports/yhz). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/yhz) - [Lounge directory](/airports/yhz/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) Halifax, Canada · North America Compact one-terminal Atlantic gateway with real U.S. preclearance and a one-fare downtown bus — undercut by a Maple Leaf Lounge closed until early 2027 and a hard 16:30 CBP cutoff. ## Airportist Score **6.9 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 8.2 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 7.2 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.6 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 7.0 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 7.0 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 2.8 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 4.14M (2025) - Terminals: 1 terminal (Domestic/International + U.S. CBP wing) - Typical security: 12 min - On-time: 78% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - U.S. preclearance before a Stateside connection — if you clear by 16:30 - Straightforward one-building wayfinding - One-fare Regional Express 320 all the way to Scotia Square - Air Canada / Porter / WestJet domestic banks ## Watch out for - Maple Leaf Lounge closed 1 Oct 2025–early 2027 — no Priority Pass pin either - U.S. CBP processing ends at 16:30 regardless of departure time - No rail — 320 is 50–65 minutes, not a metro hop - Two sterile products; swing gates renumber into the 50s for U.S. departures ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/yhz/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/yhz/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/yhz/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/yhz/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/yhz/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/yhz/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/yhz/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/yhz/reviews.md)