

Currently released so far... 12646 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
2011/05/13
2011/05/14
2011/05/15
2011/05/16
2011/05/17
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
AORC
AF
AU
ASEC
AMGT
AS
APER
AR
AEMR
AG
ARF
AJ
AA
AINF
APECO
AODE
ABLD
AMG
ATPDEA
AE
AMED
AGAO
AFIN
AL
ASUP
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AID
ASCH
AM
AORL
ASEAN
APEC
ADM
AFSI
AFSN
ADCO
ABUD
AN
AY
AIT
ACOA
ASIG
AADP
AGR
ANET
ADPM
AMCHAMS
ATRN
ALOW
ACS
APCS
AFFAIRS
ADANA
AECL
ACAO
AORG
AROC
AO
ACABQ
AGMT
AX
AMEX
AFGHANISTAN
AZ
AND
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
ACBAQ
AC
AUC
ASEX
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
AFU
BR
BTIO
BY
BO
BA
BU
BL
BN
BM
BF
BEXP
BK
BG
BB
BTIU
BBSR
BRUSSELS
BD
BIDEN
BE
BH
BILAT
BC
BT
BP
BX
BMGT
BWC
CS
CA
CH
CD
CO
CE
CU
CVIS
CASC
CJAN
CI
CPAS
CMGT
CDG
CIC
CAC
CBW
CWC
COUNTER
CW
CT
CR
CY
CNARC
CACM
CG
CB
CM
CV
CIDA
CLINTON
CHR
COE
CIS
CDC
CONS
CF
CFED
CODEL
CBSA
CEUDA
COM
CARSON
COPUOS
CIA
CL
CN
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CACS
CONDOLEEZZA
CICTE
COUNTRY
CBE
CKGR
CVR
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CLEARANCE
CARICOM
CSW
CITT
CDB
CJUS
CTM
CAN
CLMT
CBC
EAID
ECON
EFIS
ETRD
EC
ENRG
EINV
EFIN
EAGR
ETTC
ECPS
EINT
EPET
ES
EIND
EAIR
EU
EUN
EG
ELAB
EWWT
EMIN
ECIN
ESA
ER
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EAIG
ET
ETRO
ELTN
EI
EN
EUR
EK
EUMEM
ENIV
EPA
ENGR
EXTERNAL
EUREM
ELN
EUC
ENERG
EZ
ERD
EFTA
ETRC
ETRN
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EEPET
EUNCH
ENVR
ESENV
ENNP
ERNG
ENVI
ETRDECONWTOCS
ECINECONCS
EFINECONCS
EXIM
ELECTIONS
ECA
EINVEFIN
ETC
EAP
ECONOMY
EINN
ECONOMIC
EXBS
ECUN
ENGY
ECONOMICS
EIAR
EINDETRD
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
EFIM
EAIDS
EREL
EINVETC
ECONCS
ETRA
IC
IV
IAEA
IR
IT
IO
IN
IS
IZ
IMO
IPR
IWC
ICAO
ILO
ID
ICTY
ICJ
INMARSAT
INDO
IL
IMF
IRS
IQ
IA
ICRC
IDA
IAHRC
IBRD
ISLAMISTS
IDP
IGAD
ILC
ITRA
ICTR
ITU
IBET
ITF
INRA
INRO
INTELSAT
IEFIN
IRC
IRAQI
ITALY
ISRAELI
IIP
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
INTERNAL
INTERPOL
IEA
INRB
INR
IZPREL
IRAJ
IF
ITPHUM
ISRAEL
IACI
KBTR
KPAO
KOMC
KCRM
KDEM
KHIV
KBIO
KTIA
KMDR
KNNP
KSCA
KTIP
KWMN
KIPR
KCOR
KRVC
KFRD
KPAL
KWBG
KE
KTDB
KUNR
KSPR
KJUS
KGHG
KAWC
KCFE
KGCC
KOLY
KSUM
KACT
KISL
KTFN
KFLU
KSTH
KMPI
KHDP
KS
KHLS
KSEP
KMRS
KID
KN
KU
KAWK
KSAC
KCOM
KAID
KIRC
KWMNCS
KMCA
KNEI
KCRS
KPKO
KICC
KIRF
KPOA
KV
KDRG
KSEO
KVPR
KTER
KBCT
KFIN
KGIC
KCIP
KZ
KG
KWAC
KRAD
KPRP
KTEX
KNAR
KPLS
KPAK
KSTC
KFLO
KSCI
KIDE
KO
KOMS
KHSA
KSAF
KPWR
KVRP
KENV
KNSD
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCGC
KVIR
KFSC
KDDG
KPRV
KTBT
KWMM
KX
KMFO
KR
KMOC
KRIM
KCRCM
KBTS
KOCI
KGIT
KNUP
KPAONZ
KNUC
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KTLA
KCSY
KTRD
KNPP
KJUST
KCMR
KRCM
KCFC
KCHG
KREL
KFTFN
KLIG
KDEMAF
KPAI
KICA
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KHUM
KREC
KSEC
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KWWMN
KOM
KWNM
KRFD
KMIG
KRGY
KIFR
MARR
MOPS
MASS
MX
MNUC
MCAP
MO
MR
MEPP
MTCRE
MAPP
MEPN
MZ
MT
ML
MA
MY
MIL
MD
MASSMNUC
MU
MK
MTCR
MUCN
MAS
MEDIA
MAR
MC
MI
MQADHAFI
MPOS
MARAD
MG
MTRE
MASC
MW
MRCRE
MP
MOPPS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MEPI
MEETINGS
MERCOSUR
MCC
MIK
MAPS
MV
MILITARY
MDC
NATO
NZ
NL
NO
NK
NU
NPT
NI
NG
NEW
NSF
NA
NPG
NSG
NE
NSSP
NS
NDP
NSC
NAFTA
NH
NV
NP
NPA
NSFO
NT
NW
NASA
NORAD
NGO
NR
NATIONAL
NIPP
NZUS
NC
NRR
NAR
NATOPREL
OEXC
OTRA
OPRC
OVIP
OAS
OECD
OIIP
OSCE
OREP
OPIC
OFDP
OMIG
ODIP
OVP
OSCI
OIC
OIE
OPDC
ON
OCII
OPAD
OBSP
OFFICIALS
OPCW
OHUM
OES
OCS
OTR
OSAC
OFDA
PGOV
PREL
PM
PHUM
PTER
PINR
PINS
PREF
PARM
PL
PK
PU
PBTS
PBIO
PHSA
PE
PO
PROP
PA
PNAT
POL
PLN
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PCUL
PAK
PGGV
PAO
PSA
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PAS
PGIV
PHUMPREL
PDOV
PHUMPGOV
PCI
PTBS
PEL
PG
POLITICS
POLICY
PINL
POGOV
POV
PRAM
PP
PREO
PAHO
PBT
PREFA
PSI
PAIGH
POSTS
PMIL
PALESTINIAN
PARMS
PROG
PTERE
PRGOV
PORG
PS
PGOF
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PINF
PNG
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PSEPC
PNR
POLINT
PGOVE
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PROV
PGOC
PY
PHUH
PF
PRL
PHUS
RU
RS
RO
RW
RP
RFE
REGION
REACTION
REPORT
RCMP
RM
RSO
ROBERT
RICE
RSP
RF
ROOD
RIGHTS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RELATIONS
SENV
SU
SCUL
SOCI
SNAR
SL
SW
SMIG
SP
SY
SA
SHUM
SZ
SYRIA
SF
SR
SO
SPCE
SARS
SN
SC
SIPRS
SI
SYR
SEVN
SNARCS
SH
SAARC
STEINBERG
SG
SCRS
SENVKGHG
SAN
ST
SIPDIS
SNARIZ
SNARN
SSA
SK
SPCVIS
SOFA
SANC
SWE
SHI
SEN
TW
TU
TBIO
TSPL
TPHY
TRGY
TC
TT
TSPA
TINT
TERRORISM
TX
TR
TS
TN
TD
TH
TIP
TNGD
TI
TZ
TF
THPY
TP
TBID
TL
TV
TK
TO
TRSY
TURKEY
TFIN
TAGS
UN
UK
UNSC
UNGA
US
UNESCO
UP
UNHRC
UNAUS
USTR
UNDP
UNEP
UNMIK
UY
UNCHR
UNO
UG
UZ
UNPUOS
USEU
UNDC
UNICEF
UV
UNHCR
UNCND
UNCHC
UNCSD
USUN
USOAS
UNFCYP
USNC
UNIDROIT
USPS
USAID
UE
UNVIE
UAE
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNDESCO
UNC
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 03MONTREAL1076, Phased Expansion Plans for Montreal's Dorval Airport
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #03MONTREAL1076.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
03MONTREAL1076 | 2003-08-11 21:28 | 2011-04-28 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Consulate Montreal |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MONTREAL 001076
SIPDIS
State for WHA/CAN (Wheeler) and EB/TRA
FAA for Krista Berquist
TSA for Susan Williams
SIPDIS
BCBP for Joe O'Gorman
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON EFIN PREL CA
SUBJECT: Phased Expansion Plans for Montreal's Dorval Airport
REF: A) MONTREAL 0412 (2002)
¶1. This cable contains input from Embassy Ottawa.
¶2. SUMMARY: Montreal's Dorval International Airport recently
opened Phase 1 of a planned three-stage, C$700 million
expansion that will include new and improved facilities as well
as integration of the airport into the local and regional
transportation network. The renovation is part of an overall
effort to have Dorval reestablish itself as a major
international hub. Plans for Phase 3, which may not begin
until 2006 or 2007, include new pre-clearance facilities for
Department of Homeland Security inspectors; however, it is
unclear whether these new facilities will address long-standing
DHS pre-clearance security concerns. END SUMMARY
¶3. Aeroports de Montreal(ADM), a non-profit agency, manages
both Dorval and Mirabel Airports under a 60-year lease signed
in 1992 with Transport Canada, the federal transportation
agency. Mirabel is located approximately 30 miles from
downtown Montreal in a relatively unpopulated area; it was
developed in the 1970s with the intention of replacing Dorval,
which was considered to have low growth potential because it is
surrounded by residential neighborhoods. However, Mirabel's
distance from the city made its viability dependent on train
and highway connections from downtown Montreal that were never
developed. Consequently, Mirabel never gained sufficient
support either from the airlines or the traveling public and
many international carriers abandoned Montreal for Toronto.
¶4. In 1996, ADM determined that, with expansion, Dorval would
be able to accommodate all passenger traffic for the
foreseeable future. It allowed international carriers to move
back to Dorval in 1997. Some charter carrers continue to
operate at Mirabel but all will have moved to Dorval by 2004.
In an interview with post, CEO James Cherry said ADM is
obligated under its lease to maintain an airport at Mirabel,
and will devote it to cargo transport for now. Cherry said ADM
plans this fall to issue a formal Request for Proposals to
determine a future use for Mirabel's underused terminal
facilities. Mirabel has understandably been dubbed a "White
Elephant" by many, but the 75,000 acre site will remain
available should need for a second major passenger airport
ultimately arise.
¶5. Rating agency Standard and Poor's recently downgraded ADM
from an A plus to an A, citing difficulties in the airline
industry, and in Dorval's case, the long wait for a new lease
with Transport Canada. According to Cherry, "they [S and P]
were just looking for excuses; they are downgrading all
Canadian airports." Cherry says that over eighty percent of
all travelers who fly through Dorval either start or finish
their trip at Dorval. This high percentage of
origin/destination traffic insulates Dorval from the
instability found at many hub airports; the steady passenger
stream from area residents provides ADM with a consistent
income flow. "Even during slow periods, Montrealers will still
have the need to fly," he explained.
-------------------------
Three Phases of Expansion
-------------------------
¶6. The Dorval renovation and expansion are projected to cost
approximately C$700 million and will occur in three phases.
Phase I, the Trans-border Jetty, which handles flights between
the U.S. and Canada, opened on April 1, 2003. Although several
gates can accommodate planes as large as a Boeing 767, the new
jetty is designed with adjustable bridges to accommodate even
the smallest aircraft, such as regional jets. Cherry said that
Dorval's expansion was designed with current airline
restructuring trends in mind; he predicted that low-cost
airlines may ultimately claim up to 40 percent of the Canadian
domestic air travel market.
¶7. The Trans-border jetty offers some significant improvements
over the previous 1950s era terminal: more gates, more shopping
and eating areas as well as greatly enhanced security with the
complete segregation of arriving and departing passengers.
Cherry noted that while the new facility is spacious and
modern, it is not the "architectural monument" that some recent
airports have become. Originally the Dorval expansion was set
to cost C$1.3 billion, but the plans were scaled back after
Cherry was hired in 2001.
¶8. Phase 2 of Dorval's expansion plan is a new International
Jetty, scheduled to open in 2005 and currently about 25 percent
completed. It will include a new arrivals hall, a new Canadian
immigration/customs inspection facility and a baggage claim
area that will handle both international and U.S. arrivals.
The International Jetty will have at least one gate able to
accommodate the new super-jumbo Airbus A380 and will also
feature several "swing" gates allowing a plane to arrive as a
trans-border or international flight and depart either to the
U.S. or another international destination.
¶9. Phase 3 will include check-in areas for US-bound flights, a
new US Customs/Immigration pre-clearance area, an enlarged
domestic jetty for small aircraft, and a rail station that will
connect to VIA Rail's intercity service, as well as to the
Central Station downtown. Since a train station already exists
one mile from the airport terminal, linking the airport to the
Ottawa-downtown Montreal corridor should be relatively
inexpensive, according to CEO Cherry. He estimated the cost at
approximately C$90 million. Construction work would also
improve highway access to Dorval. Phase 3 is expected to begin
in 2006 or 2007, and should take about two years to complete,
although financing has not yet been arranged and the ADM board
has not given its final approval. CEO Cherry told post "we
[ADM] are considering moving up the start date [of phase 3] by
one year, maybe in 2005."
¶10. Notwithstanding the fact that the Transborder Jetty was
built and is operational, renovations at Dorval and Mirabel are
currently hindered by what Cherry describes as "perverse
economic consequences" of the lease signed with the federal
government in 1992. Under that lease, while ADM is responsible
for financing all improvements, the federal government receives
up to 80 percent of any income resulting from investments in
new facilities. According to Cherry, ADM went ahead with the
renovations based on personal assurances from the Federal
Minister of Transportation that a new lease formula for most of
Canada's major airports will remove such disincentives and make
it possible to undertake new business partnerships.
---------------------------
Increasing Passenger Levels
---------------------------
¶11. The Dorval expansion is expected to increase the airport's
capacity from its present level of 9 million passengers each
year to 15 million; ADM bases its expansion plans on projected
average annual growth of 3-4 percent. According to Christiane
Beaulieu, ADM Vice President for Public Affairs, Dorval's
current three runways handle 55-60 movements (takeoffs or
landings) per hour, and could handle up to 100 per hour, so
expansion will be limited to terminal facilities. Beaulieu
said ADM's marketing department is working to bring in new
airlines and get others to expand their operations. Lufthansa
and Austrian Airlines recently re-established service at
Dorval, and Canadian discount carriers Westjet and Jetsgo have
been increasing their level of service. Air Canada, despite
its bankruptcy problems, is also planning to expand at Dorval,
in part because of the airport's lower operating costs.
Because Dorval is not a major hub, it experiences much less
peak-period congestion than hub airports like Toronto and
consequently, offers airlines considerable potential for fuel
and labor savings through reduced delays.
-----------------------
Immigration and Customs
-----------------------
¶12. According to Normand Boivin, VP of Dorval operations, ADM
is working with US and Canadian immigration on a new clearance
system that, once the International Jetty is completed, will
allow passengers to disembark from an international flight and
move directly to the U.S. inspection area. This should
increase Dorval's viability as a hub for international flights
terminating in the U.S.
¶13. A longstanding concern of Department of Homeland Security
personnel at Dorval has been the security of the pre-clearance
inspection area: customs and immigration inspectors currently
are interviewing and pre-clearing passengers who have had
neither their persons nor their luggage screened. After the
9/11 attacks, the security screening stations (x-ray and metal
detectors) were temporarily moved in front of the
immigration/customs area, but have since been moved back. A
long-term solution will require more expensive renovations that
are unlikely before the new facility is built in Phase 3.
ADM's plans to address the security concerns are not clear,
however. Henri-Paul Martel, ADM's Vice President for
Engineering and Construction, showed post preliminary designs
for the new inspection area featuring the same configuration as
the current facility. However, in his interview with post,
ADM's CEO Cherry himself raised the DHS pre-inspection security
concerns, saying that these concerns will factor into the
design of the new inspection facility planned for Phase 3.
According to him, the inspection areas will be located behind,
rather than in front of, security screening stations. However,
Phase 3 construction wouldn't be completed until 2007, if
construction began in 2005.
¶14. COMMENT: The ill-fated effort to develop Mirabel into
Montreal's airport of the future resulted in a serious decline
in the city's status as an air transportation center. The
current effort to expand Dorval and bring it up to modern
standards -- despite airline industry doldrums -- confirms its
status as Montreal's principal passenger airport for at least
the next 30 years. However, competition might arise from an
unexpected quarter. Not far across the border in Plattsburgh,
New York, a former U.S. military air base is being converted
into a commercial airport that Plattsburgh city leaders plan to
market as a gateway to Montreal in a few years. END COMMENT
ALLEN