YOWCYOWNormal21°C / 70°F

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

Ottawa, Canada · North America

Compact single-terminal capital gateway with U.S. CBP preclearance and a real O-Train link—easy to navigate, but lounge coverage is thin while Maple Leaf renovates and Aspire blocks U.S. departures.

Airportist Score

7.3/ 10

Editorial 0–10 weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating.

Passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Average security

12 min

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

9 photos

Terminal of Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa

Control tower of MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Inukshuk at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Built on site in 2003 by Inuit Elder Peter Katorka, and Commissioner of Nunavut, Peter Irniq, using stones collected from various communities in Nunavut.

Porter Airlines Bombardier Q400 and WestJet Boeing 737-700 at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

Canadian North Boeing 737-200 at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

First Air Boeing 737-200 at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

De-Icing Operations at Ottawa International Airport in Winter

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Split CATSA and CBP for U.S. flights

Domestic CATSA can look short while U.S. preclearance is the real constraint—do not copy a quiet Toronto hop buffer onto a Washington or New York departure.

Aim ~90–120 minutes for straightforward domestic; add a dedicated U.S. CBP preclearance cushion for transborder departures and more for morning Europe / leisure long-haul banks out of the Canada/International pier.

Terminal

Canada/International ≠ U.S. after security

Follow Canada/International vs United States signs from check-in. Aspire and (when open) Maple Leaf sit on the non-U.S. side only.

One terminal building, but after CATSA you are locked into either the Canada/International gate area or the U.S. transborder area. Wrong stream means exiting and re-clearing.

Food

Eat after the sterile zone you will fly

Canada/International Centre Court is the densest food cluster; U.S. airside is grab-and-go heavy.

Canal Market Hall, Big Rig, Bridgehead, Zak’s, and Vino Volo cluster on the Canada/International side. U.S. post-CBP options are thinner (Tim Hortons + Urban Crave)—eat before preclearance if you need a full meal.

Status

Aspire is PP—but not for U.S. gates

U.S.-bound PP holders have no contract lounge after CBP—use Aspire before U.S. screening only if your itinerary still allows, otherwise plan gate-side seating.

Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass redeem at Aspire near Gate 18 on the Canada/International side only. Maple Leaf is closed for renovations; when it reopens it remains Air Canada / Star pathways, not Priority Pass.

Nearby airports

Passenger airports within about 150 km.

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

Current security wait information is not available for this airport. Check the airport's official website or app before travel.

Official airport site

Operational status

Delays reported

Departure delays

Flights are taking off 4m late on average.

Delay range: 4m avg

Arrival delays

Flights are landing 17m late on average.

Delay range: 17m avg

Status update: 15:01 EDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 19:01 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Split CATSA and CBP for U.S. flights

Domestic CATSA can look short while U.S. preclearance is the real constraint—do not copy a quiet Toronto hop buffer onto a Washington or New York departure.

Terminal

Canada/International ≠ U.S. after security

Follow Canada/International vs United States signs from check-in. Aspire and (when open) Maple Leaf sit on the non-U.S. side only.

One terminal building, but after CATSA you are locked into either the Canada/International gate area or the U.S. transborder area. Wrong stream means exiting and re-clearing.

Food

Eat after the sterile zone you will fly

Canada/International Centre Court is the densest food cluster; U.S. airside is grab-and-go heavy.

Status

Aspire is PP—but not for U.S. gates

U.S.-bound PP holders have no contract lounge after CBP—use Aspire before U.S. screening only if your itinerary still allows, otherwise plan gate-side seating.

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

Current security wait information is not available for this airport. Check the airport's official website or app before travel.

Official airport site

Operational status

Delays reported

Departure delays

Flights are taking off 4m late on average.

Delay range: 4m avg

Arrival delays

Flights are landing 17m late on average.

Delay range: 17m avg

Status update: 15:01 EDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 19:01 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

Current security wait information is not available for this airport. Check the airport's official website or app before travel.

Official airport site

Operational status

Delays reported

Departure delays

Flights are taking off 4m late on average.

Delay range: 4m avg

Arrival delays

Flights are landing 17m late on average.

Delay range: 17m avg

Status update: 15:01 EDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 19:01 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight

YOWGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

Current security wait information is not available for this airport. Check the airport's official website or app before travel.

Official airport site

Operational status

Delays reported

Departure delays

Flights are taking off 4m late on average.

Delay range: 4m avg

Arrival delays

Flights are landing 17m late on average.

Delay range: 17m avg

Status update: 15:01 EDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 19:01 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for YOW.

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Single passenger terminal (~10 km / ~6 mi south of downtown Ottawa) with separate Canada/International and U.S. transborder sterile zones after CATSA
4,866,236 enplaned & deplaned passengers in 2025 (+5.6% vs 4,606,824 in 2024): domestic 3,654,284, transborder 726,311 (−2.0%), international 485,641 (+11.9%) — Ottawa International Airport Authority passenger-volume table
Major hub for Porter Airlines and a focus city for Air Canada and Air Transat; U.S.-bound passengers clear CBP preclearance at YOW
O-Train Line 4 links the terminal (Level 3) to South Keys for transfers across OC Transpo; adult Presto / O-Payment fare CAD $4.10 (cash $4.15) as of 1 Jan 2026 — no airport surcharge
Priority Pass covers Aspire Salon Lounge (Canada/International near Gate 18; not for U.S. departures). Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations (confirm before travel)
Operator Ottawa International Airport Authority; ICAO CYOW; primary runways 14/32 ~3,050 m and 07/25 ~2,438 m (CFS / public data)

11 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Overall is the published weighted sum of these six categories — not a holistic fudge.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.2

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

8.0

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.8

Key Stats

Annual passengers

4.9 million (2025)

Terminals

On-time departures

78%

Average security

12 min

Best For

Domestic Canada hops and Porter itinerariesU.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearanceTravelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC TranspoShort connections inside one sterile zone

Watch Out For

No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearanceMaple Leaf Lounge closed for renovationsThinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile areaLine 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight