Montreal Airport Files Lawsuit Against Competitor for Name Change
The authority in charge of Montreal’s international airport is heading to court to prevent a burgeoning suburban airport from rebranding with the city’s name, arguing that it will cause confusion among travelers.
Conversely, the airport facing legal action accuses the international airport of trying to maintain a “monopoly.”
Aéroports de Montréal, the operator of Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, has filed for a permanent injunction in Quebec Superior Court to compel the new Montreal Metropolitan Airport to change its name.
Previously known simply as the Saint-Hubert airport after the Longueuil borough in Quebec where it is situated, the Montreal Metropolitan Airport adopted its new name in February. This decision followed an announcement of a partnership in 2023 with Porter Airlines for a new $200-million terminal capable of accommodating up to four million domestic travelers annually.
According to Eric Forest, spokesperson for Aéroports de Montréal, the name Montreal Metropolitan Airport bears too close a resemblance to the international airport’s name, which is located in Dorval on the Island of Montreal and served over 21 million passengers in 2023.
The authority has not disclosed the details of its injunction request, but Mr. Forest mentioned in an email statement that they are worried about the potential confusion for passengers, both local and from elsewhere, due to the striking similarities in the names.
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He mentioned that the authority had voiced its disapproval of the name change upon its announcement and, failing to reach a compromise, decided to take the matter to court. Additionally, the authority opposes the name due to the fact that the Montreal Metropolitan Airport is situated on Montreal’s South Shore rather than the Island of Montreal.
On the other hand, Simon-Pierre Diamond, a vice-president at the Montreal Metropolitan Airport, argued that their facility, also known as the MET, has a solid claim to the Montreal name since it is actually closer to the city’s downtown than Montreal-Trudeau International Airport.
Mr. Diamond emphasized that many major cities have more than one airport, and the MET, which previously catered more to flight schools and local pilots flying small planes, will now also serve commercial passengers traveling through the Montreal region.
“ADM does not hold the exclusive rights to airports for Montreal residents, and we believe we have the right to use this name,” he stated in an interview. “There’s a new competitor in town, and engaging in a legal dispute over the name to preserve a monopoly isn’t the right approach.”
The MET’s new terminal is set to be located approximately 15 kilometers from downtown Montreal and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025.
