Macdonald-Cartier Airport is located 12 km from the centre of Canada's capital city , Ottawa.

It is a medium sized modern airport with a very good visibility. You usually only need to arrive 1.5 hours in advance for your departure. For departures to the USA, at least 2 to 2.5 hours is recommended.

Canadian airline Porter Airlines has its main hub at the local airport and Air Canada also has one of its smaller bases here.

The main routes from Ottawa are domestic (Toronto and Montréal are very busy), flights to the USA and holiday flights to the Caribbean.

There are currently 2 direct long-haul flights from Ottawa:

• Air Canada - London
• Air France - Paris

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US Preclearence

Ottawa is one of eight airports in Canada that has US immigration preclearance in the terminal. Once you arrive in the United States, your flight will be checked in as a domestic flight, saving you the often long queues that can occur at US airports.

In fact, the immigration lines in Ottawa tend to be significantly shorter and more efficient than at US airports.

However, before leaving Ottawa for the USA, ideally arrive at the airport 2.5 hours before your flight.

You will also go through US Preclearance immigration in Ottawa when transferring from another flight to the US.

You can also find practical information for travelling to the United States on our website.

• ESTA to the USA - how much does it cost and how to apply
• How to get from airports to downtown - Newark EWR, Washington IAD, Boston BOS