--- iata: YOW name: Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport city: Ottawa country: Canada lastUpdated: '2026-09-06' officialWebsite: 'https://www.yow.ca/' sources: - 'https://www.yow.ca/' - 'https://www.yow.ca/business/passenger-volume' - 'https://www.yow.ca/passenger-services/lounges' - 'https://www.yow.ca/parking-transportation/ground-transportation' - 'https://www.yow.ca/parking-transportation/parking' - 'https://www.yow.ca/passenger-services/food-beverage' - 'https://www.yow.ca/passenger-services/amenities' - 'https://www.yow.ca/passenger-services/shopping' - >- https://www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/fare-change-takes-effect-january-1-2026/ - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/lounges/canada/ottawa-macdonald-cartier-international/yow2-aspire-salon-lounge - >- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Macdonald%E2%80%93Cartier_International_Airport quickFacts: - >- 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) bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Split CATSA and CBP for U.S. flights detail: >- 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. summary: >- 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. category: timing - label: Terminal title: Canada/International ≠ U.S. after security detail: >- 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. summary: >- Follow Canada/International vs United States signs from check-in. Aspire and (when open) Maple Leaf sit on the non-U.S. side only. category: terminal - label: Food title: Eat after the sterile zone you will fly detail: >- 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. summary: >- Canada/International Centre Court is the densest food cluster; U.S. airside is grab-and-go heavy. category: food - label: Status title: Aspire is PP—but not for U.S. gates detail: >- 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. summary: >- 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. category: status lounges: - name: Aspire Salon Lounge zone: >- Airside Canada/International, to the right of Gate 18 (follow signs to Gate 20) hours: '05:00–20:00 daily (Priority Pass / YOW directory)' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass - Aspire / contracted card programs - 'Paid walk-up / day entry when sold (any airline, any cabin)' bestFor: - Priority Pass on domestic or non-U.S. international departures - 'Long Canada/International waits before the 20:00 close' summary: >- Primary contract lounge after Canada/International security—hot meals, snacks, soft drinks and alcohol, workspaces, and airfield views. Priority Pass lists access from 3 hours before departure and explicitly blocks U.S. transborder boarding passes. Typical max stay aligns with that window; pre-book in the PP app when busy. verdict: worth-it terminal: Canada/International amenities: - Hot meals and snacks - Soft drinks and alcohol - Wi-Fi - Workspaces - Flight screens - Airfield views - name: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge zone: Airside Canada/International near Gate 18 hours: >- Temporarily closed for renovations (YOW lounge directory lists Closed daily) access: - Air Canada Business / eligible premium on same-day AC (when reopened) - Aeroplan elite / Maple Leaf Club pathways (when reopened) - Star Alliance Gold on eligible AC flights (when reopened) bestFor: - Air Canada / Star elites once renovations finish - Confirm status in the Air Canada app before relying on it summary: >- YOW’s Maple Leaf Lounge is temporarily closed for renovations per the airport’s lounge directory (hours show Closed every day). When it reopens it remains an Air Canada / Star Alliance product near Gate 18— not Priority Pass. Do not plan lounge access here until Air Canada and yow.ca show it open again. verdict: skip terminal: Canada/International amenities: - Hot/cold food (when open) - Bar (when open) - Wi-Fi (when open) waterOptions: - kind: refill name: Hydration stations (Canada/International airside) zone: airside summary: >- Empty at CATSA, then refill before boarding—best value versus retail bottled water on domestic and international banks. location: >- Official amenities list stations at Gates 15, 18, and 22 after Canada/International security terminal: Canada/International isBestValue: true isBestQuality: true - kind: refill name: Hydration stations (U.S. transborder airside) zone: airside summary: >- Refill after CBP; post-preclearance retail water is thinner and pricier than free stations. location: Post-security United States Level 2 (YOW amenities directory) terminal: U.S. Transborder - kind: refill name: Hydration station (landside Level 1) zone: landside summary: >- Useful before security if you arrive early, but airside fillers in your sterile zone are the better pre-boarding stop. location: Pre-security Level 1 (YOW amenities directory) terminal: Main terminal - kind: purchase name: Relay / cafés bottled water zone: landside price: CAD $3–5 typical summary: >- Easy at landside and airside Relay shops, but worse value than free hydration stations in every sterile zone. location: >- Relay (Arrivals, Level 3, Gate 24 Canada/International, Gate 12 U.S.) and cafés terminal: Main terminal airportistScore: 7.3 slug: yow region: North America --- > Markdown for [/airports/yow](/airports/yow). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/yow) - [Lounge directory](/airports/yow/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) 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** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 8.2 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 7.0 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.6 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 8.0 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.4 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 6.8 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 4.9 million (2025) - Terminals: 1 - Typical security: 12 min - On-time: 78% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Domestic Canada hops and Porter itineraries - U.S. trips that benefit from CBP preclearance - Travelers using O-Train Line 4 / OC Transpo - Short connections inside one sterile zone ## Watch out for - No Priority Pass lounge after U.S. preclearance - Maple Leaf Lounge closed for renovations - Thinner F&B once you are in the U.S. sterile area - Line 4 overnight gap—use bus 105 after midnight ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/yow/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/yow/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/yow/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/yow/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/yow/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/yow/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/yow/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/yow/reviews.md)