by Bert Archer
Last updated: 8:40 AM ET, Fri May 22, 2026
Porter held a gala reception airside at the soon-to-open MET airport in Longueuil on May 20. With invitees flown in by charter from Toronto, guests were greeted by cheerful striking paramedics, because Quebec.
After being given boarding passes at check-in counters staffed for the evening, the guests were led through security into a passenger area that is going to set the standard for small airports across the country. Images of the inventive lighting have already been published here and elsewhere, but the whole space is remarkable, and frankly makes Toronto's closest equivalent, Billy Bishop, look a bit like yesterday's news.
(Photo Credit: Bert Archer)
The entire terminal is up to the highest airport lounge standards, with swivel chairs, banks of well-cushioned seats, electrical outlets galore, and marble tables to match the marble counters for what will be the concessions, but for the night were serving areas for oysters, coquilles St-Jacques, Aviations and other themed cocktails (including a too-sweet stab at a martini they called Ground Control), and a lovely Mâcon white along with an undistinguished red of some sort.
Catherine Fournier, the mayor of Longueuil, spoke, with her one-month-old child in tow, as did Steve MacKinnon, transport minister and MP from Gatineau, as well as Michael Deluce, CEO of Porter Airlines and son of its founder, Bob Deluce, who was also in attendance in some perfect late-life Cary Grant eyewear. The younger Deluce spoke in French, to the loud appreciation of the mixed crowd.
(Photo Credit: Bert Archer)
The speeches emphasized the role The Met would be playing in increasing regional connections within Quebec, though of course Porter will also be taking the opportunity to increase its Montreal connections to the rest of Canada.
There were no new announcements made this night, ahead of the June 15 opening. This was a night to celebrate, take a peek at this really well-done piece of airport design, and eat quite a lot of oysters.
(Photo Credit: Bert Archer)
Porter partnered with Macquarie Asset Management, an investor in the operators of Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Ecuador; El Dorado International Airport in Colombia; Aberdeen, Glasgow, Farnborough and Southampton Airports in the United Kingdom; and Australia's North Queensland and Perth Airports.
Pascan and Air Liaison will also be flying out of the Met when it opens for business next month.
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