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Montreal Airport might not always get the best rap, but a new ranking of Canadian airports may have just brought YUL’s reputation to a new low.
A new study by CasinosHunter crunched the numbers to reveal Canada’s best and worst airports for 2025, and we’re willing to bet the results aren’t what you expect.
The study ranked 25 airports across Canada for “efficiency and comfort” using six key factors: direct flight destinations, operating airlines, lounges, restaurants, on-site car rental companies and nearby hotels.
While some of the usual suspects made the cut, smaller cities stole the spotlight, with one unexpected winner taking the crown as Canada’s top airport.
Saskatoon’s John G. Diefenbaker International Airport took the top spot, scoring an impressive 72.11 out of 100 thanks to features like 24 destinations, 15 nearby hotels, five dining facilities and an overall reputation for comfort and efficiency. Glowing reviews online back up the score, with one passenger calling it “nice and new” and “easy to get around.”
In second place is Québec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport, known for its large airline network, dining options and convenience. St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland’s capital rounded out the top three, scoring highly for its dining and car rental availability.
Interestingly, some of Canada’s busiest airports didn’t fare so well. Toronto Pearson International Airport landed in sixth place — although we’ll call this a comeback after its recent ranking as one of the world’s worst for on-time performance and customer satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Vancouver International Airport, despite recently being voted by passengers as the third-best airport in the entire world, placed eighth here.
Montreal–Trudeau Airport, for its part, ranked squarely between the two in seventh place. That’s right — there are SIX that ranked as better than YUL. We couldn’t even name six other Canadian airports before reading this.
At the other end of the spectrum, New Brunswick’s Saint John Airport was ranked dead last, scoring a measly 22.08 out of 100. It offers just two airlines flying to three destinations, with no lounge and only one dining option in the terminal. Regina International Airport and Fredericton International Airport also struggled to make an impression.
Here’s how the full list of the 25 airports shook out:
- Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (YXE) — 72.11
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) — 69.20
- St. John’s International Airport (YYT) — 60.96
- Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) — 52.66
- Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT) — 52.48
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) — 52.33
- Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) — 51.65
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR) — 51.08
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) — 49.48
- Greater Moncton International Airport (YQM) — 47.93
- Calgary International Airport (YYC) — 47.81
- Edmonton International Airport (YEG) — 47.49
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) — 47.40
- Yellowknife Airport (YZF) — 44.21
- London International Airport (YXU) — 37.62
- Victoria International Airport (YYJ) — 35.67
- Gander International Airport (YQX) — 33.57
- Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY) — 32.62
- Charlottetown Airport (YYG) — 30.41
- Kelowna International Airport (YLW) — 29.10
- Iqaluit Airport (YFB) — 28.27
- Prince George Airport (YXS) — 27.92
- Fredericton International Airport (YFC) — 25.79
- Regina International Airport (YQR) — 22.36
- Saint John Airport (YSJ) — 22.08
CasinosHunter founder Mike Hunter notes that with around 150 million passengers flying in and out of Canadian airports annually, “A trip to Canada should be an exciting, stress-free experience. Therefore, when choosing your Canadian destination, it is always good to choose a destination airport you feel comfortable flying into.”
So, maybe this is your sign to try one of Canada’s smaller local airports for your next trip — you might just be pleasantly surprised!
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