Transfer at Ottawa Airport
Ottawa Airport uses one terminal common to all airlines.
Arrivals are on the ground floor and departure counters are on the 3rd floor, along with security. The airport is very easy to navigate and you can walk through the entire airport in 15-20 minutes, including any queues for security or immigration.
Expect longer queues only on your departure to the USA, when you go through US-Preclearance (US immigration control) already at Ottawa Airport. In this case, you may spend up to 45-60 minutes in line, so we recommend arriving at the airport at least 2-2.5 hours before your flight to the US departs.
View hotels near Ottawa Airport
Transfer between flights
Ottawa Airport is ideal for connecting flights and is extremely convenient.
If you have the choice of connecting in Ottawa or at the much larger connecting airports of Toronto or Montreal, we always recommend buying a flight via Ottawa.
Domestic <-> Domestic
Upon exiting the aircraft, you will find yourself directly in the departure gate area. So just find the appropriate gate on the board and move to it without any checks.
- Average transfer time - 5 to 10 minutes
- Security check - no
- Transfer baggage - will be transferred automatically
International -> Domestic
This type of transfer is common when travelling from Paris, USA, London or the Caribbean to small airports in Ontario, Quebec or further afield in Eastern Canada.
You exit the plane at the immigration control counters, where queues usually form for a maximum of 20 minutes. Check-in is largely automated and is done via kiosks.
After that, you collect your luggage, walk out to the public area, and take the elevator up to the 3rd floor to the check-in counters (about 5 minutes). Here you check in your baggage again and proceed through security to the departure gate.
- Average transfer time - 45 to 60 minutes
- Security check - yes
- Immigration check - yes
- Baggage on transfer - you must collect and re-check in
Domestic -> International
In this case the transfer is easier than the other way around. This is because there is no immigration check on departure from Canada, so you get off the plane straight into the departure gate area where you find your gate without any checking.
- Average transfer time - 5 to 10 minutes
- Security check - no
- Baggage on transfer - will be transferred automatically
Transfer at the airport - opening hours
The airport terminal is open 24/7 and overnight stays inside the concourse are possible.
However, there are only hard seats in the public area and a comfortable overnight stay in the transit area is not possible as security does not open until approximately 2.5 hours before the first morning departure.
Hotels near the airport
As the airport is relatively far from the city centre, if you have an early morning departure before 8am, the best option is to stay in a hotel near the airport.
The closest hotels to the terminal are those with free private transfers (a minibus runs every 30 minutes from 3:00 to 0:30).
The minibus ride to these hotels takes about 5 minutes, but unfortunately it is not possible to walk from the terminal.
We personally tried the Hilton Garden Inn.
These hotels are also good because they are also very easy to get to by public transport when travelling to/from downtown Ottawa.
The"Uplands" train stop is about an 8 minute walk through a large parking lot.
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