The Ottawa Airport Authority is anticipating the busiest travel season since 2019 at YOW.

We’re getting ready for the holidays and would like to help make your time at YOW the best it can be!

We are bringing back holiday music. Enjoy performances by local musicians from December 21-24, at various times. The schedule is available on our website.

We’ve decked our Arrivals hall to make it a welcoming place to greet your loved ones.

We’ve prepared a list of travel tips to help make your trip more enjoyable:

• Pack your patience – the holidays are already stressful for many, and travel can add to the stress;
• Canada/International security screening has moved from Level 2 to Level 3;
• Check with your airline for schedule changes and flight updates before heading to the airport;
• Save yourself time by checking in online;
• Ensure you have proper ID for yourself and your family members;
• Pack smart – familiarize yourself with what you can and can’t take in your carry-on luggage. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has prepared a video with packing tips. If you plan to take gifts in your carry-on, don’t wrap them; they may need to be inspected, which could ruin your wrapping efforts. For more packing tips, visit the CATSA website (www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca);
• Pack medications and valuables in your carry-on;
• If you’re travelling to a sunshine destination, lighten your luggage by storing your winter gear at the airport. PARS 2000, located in the Arrivals area on Level 1, is open 24/7;
• Take advantage of the Passenger Concierge Service if you need a helping hand getting through the terminal. Visit www.savm.ca for details;
• Enjoy YOW’s free WiFi;
• Charge up your device while you wait to board your flight;
• If you’re travelling with children, bring books or toys to keep them occupied while you wait for your flight;
• If you’re travelling with a service animal or pet, we have in-terminal relief stations available in both the Canada/International and U.S. gate areas; and
• Masks are no longer a Transport Canada requirement, but you are welcome to join many other passengers and employees who choose to wear one in the airport and on their flight.

Stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook pages for Santa’s flight manifest on December 24.

Environment Canada is calling for inclement weather later this week, which may affect flights. Before leaving home, ensure you have up-to-date information about your flight and give yourself extra time to get safely to the airport. If you’re early, enjoy the wait at one of our restaurants or coffee shops, or if you’re travelling within Canada or down south, check out the new stores we’ve opened in the last year.

“The holidays are a magical time for reconnecting with friends and family, or escaping to relax in the sun or on the ski slopes,” said Krista Kealey, Ottawa Airport Authority Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs. “We expect the busiest travel period in several years and want to make the experience as efficient and enjoyable as possible. Following our travel tips will help – especially if the weather forecast is accurate.”

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