Key Takeaways
- Montreal-Trudeau Airport sues suburban airport over name change to “Montreal Metropolitan Airport.”
- Lawsuit claims potential confusion for passengers due to similar airport names.
- Suburban airport defends name change, emphasizing proximity to downtown Montreal.
A legal battle has erupted between the operator of Montreal’s international airport and a smaller suburban facility over the latter’s recent rebranding as the “Montreal Metropolitan Airport.”
Aéroports de Montréal, which runs the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking a permanent injunction to force the former Saint-Hubert airport to revert to its previous name.
The suburban airport, located about 15 kilometers from downtown on Montreal’s South Shore, announced in February it was changing its name to Montreal Metropolitan Airport as part of a $200 million partnership with Porter Airlines to build a new terminal.
“We are concerned about the confusion this change could cause for passengers, both from Montreal and elsewhere,” said Eric Forest, a spokesperson for Aéroports de Montréal, in an email to The Canadian Press, “considering the very close similarities between the names.”
The new terminal at the newly rebranded Montreal Metropolitan Airport is slated to open in summer 2025. It is designed to handle up to 4 million domestic travelers annually.
Simon-Pierre Diamond, the suburban airport’s vice president, defended the name change, arguing that big cities often have multiple airports that incorporate the metropolitan area in their names.
“ADM doesn’t have the monopoly on airports for Montrealers, and we believe it’s in our rights to have this name,” The Canadian Press reported. “There is a new player in town and fighting over the name in court to protect a monopoly isn’t the way to play.”
“Our airport is much closer to downtown Montreal than Trudeau International, which is located in the suburb of Dorval. We believe ‘Metropolitan’ accurately reflects our proximity to the city center,” Diamond told The Canadian Press.
Aéroports de Montréal disagrees, saying the well-established Montreal-Trudeau International Airport served over 21 million passengers last year and is globally recognized by travelers as the main air hub for the Montreal region.
While the name similarities may seem trivial, the airport authority warns of potential chaos if travelers inadvertently show up at the wrong facility.
A court hearing on the injunction request is expected in the coming weeks. Whatever the legal outcome, the dispute underscores the fierce competition among airports to attract airlines and passengers in an increasingly crowded aviation market.
Diamond vowed to vigorously defend the new Montreal Metropolitan Airport branding, saying the upcoming terminal will provide a convenient alternative for domestic flights in and out of Greater Montreal.
