Nagging problems at Trudeau airport
Re: “Montreal pays for losing out as airport hub” (Business, Jan. 23)
Rather than searching for additional flights to new destinations, I would like to see Aéroports de Montréal president James Cherry and his team focus their attention on fixing a significant number of nagging problems at the airport that hinder its perception as a worldclass facility — in spite of all the construction work that has occurred there in recent years.
Obvious even to the casual traveller, they include:
1. The main approach road from the Dorval Circle is still blocked from easy access to the departures ramp by barriers — this after years of extensive road construction in the area.
2. There is no dedicated “park and wait” lane or holding area for vehicles awaiting the pickup of arriving passengers — a standard feature at any serious airport operation. Any attempts to stop on the approach roads is met by aggressive interventions by airport staff to shoo you away.
3. Entrance doors to the departures lobby frequently are not working, and at least one of them has been out of service for several years.
4. A brand new exit ramp off the departure level just past the Marriott hotel narrows from three lanes to one lane for no apparent reason. At this choke point, snow removal operations, a stalled vehicle or a demonstration of some sort would close the entire departures level exit.
5. There is no seating just inside the departures lobby. Where are parents with children, the elderly, exhausted connecting passengers or people who need to rearrange their luggage supposed to sit?
6. There have been no noticeable attempts to make security checkpoints more efficient and customer friendly. There can be long wait times, plus people cutting into the line illegally without any staff intervening. There is redundant checking of travel documents by airport staff two, three and even four times in lineups. When asked why, the standard answer is “We’re gathering statistics.”
How about some action on plainly obvious and long-standing problems?
J.A. Hunt Beaconsfield
Re: “Business section is like the funny pages” (Letters, Jan. 23)
If Pat Hallauer keeps on reading the Business pages, he will find more great humour.
“Montreal pays for losing out as airport hub” (Gazette, Jan. 23) is humour at its best.
Mirabel was killed by negative media and missing fast, modern links with Montreal and Dorval. A train station was ready in Mirabel!
Now the experts are lamenting the lack of an airport hub in Dorval. We are talking about an airport with extremely poor access — no subway, fast train or proper road.
Build a fast, direct train and road access, lower landing and other fees and then you can start promoting direct flights and go after export possibilities.
How the whole messy situation should be Air Canada’s fault (not getting a direct Beijing flight) escapes me and is far-fetched at best. M. Millette St-Lambert