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Montréal–Mirabel International Airport , originally called Montréal International Airport and widely known as Mirabel, is a cargo airport located in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, northwest〔 of Montreal and opened October 4, 1975. By surface area it was the largest airport in the world ever envisioned, with a planned area of ; King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia, completed in 1999, eventually surpassed its surface area. In 1989, of the were deeded back to their owners.〔(History section of the Aéroports de Montréal site )〕 The predominant role of the airport is cargo flights but it is also home to MEDEVAC and general aviation flights as well as being a manufacturing base for Bombardier Aerospace, where final assembly of regional jet (CRJ700, CRJ900 and CRJ1000) aircraft and the Bombardier CSeries is conducted. The former passenger terminal apron is now a racing course. It was intended to replace the existing Dorval Airport as the eastern air gateway to Canada. Accordingly, from 1975 to 1997, all international flights to/from Montreal (except for flights to and from the United States) were required to use Mirabel. However, Mirabel's distant location, the lack of adequate transport links to urban centres and the continued operation of domestic flights from Dorval Airport made Mirabel very unpopular with travellers and airlines. This fact, coupled with others including Montreal's economic decline relative to Toronto, kept passenger volumes from rising to the levels that had been anticipated. Passenger volumes remained lower than what Dorval Airport could handle when renovated. When the decision was made to consolidate passenger traffic at one airport, Dorval was chosen, and Mirabel was relegated to the role of a cargo airport. Mirabel thus turned out to be a white elephant.〔(End of Era Near in Montreal For White-Elephant Airport ), CLIFFORD KRAUSS, New York Times, October 3, 2004〕 Dorval Airport was renamed Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport after the Canadian Prime Minister whose government initiated the project whose aim was to close and replace that airport. 〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/whats-in-an-eponym-could-there-be-a-financial-or-other-benefit-in-celebrity-airport-naming-215965 )〕 Montréal–Mirabel International Airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA claims that its officers at this airport can handle general aviation aircraft only with no more than 15 passengers〔 but larger aircraft have been serviced. It is one of two airports in Canada with sufficient right-of-way that can be expanded to accommodate 50 million passengers per year, the other being Toronto Pearson International Airport. A lack of traffic meant that Mirabel was never expanded beyond its first phase. It is one of only two non-capital airports with fewer than 200,000 passengers a year to be part of the National Airports System. The airport is northwest of Downtown Montreal and northwest of Trudeau Airport.〔"(Montréal–Mirabel map )." Aéroports de Montréal. Retrieved on December 4, 2010. (French version ).〕 ==Development== In the 1960s, Montreal experienced a tremendous economic boom. Massive construction projects, including the Montreal Metro coupled with the hosting of Expo 67, brought the city international status. More and more visitors were arriving to the city, especially by airplane, though not always by choice. The federal government required that European airlines make Montréal their only Canadian destination. This resulted in 15–20% annual growth in passenger traffic at the city's Dorval Airport. Optimistic about the city's future and its continuing ability to attract more and more visitors, government officials decided to build a new airport that would be more than able to absorb increased passenger traffic well into the 21st century. The Canadian Department of Transport studied five possible sites for Montreal's new airport: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu ( to the southwest), Vaudreuil-Dorion ( to the west), Joliette ( to the north), St-Amable ( to the southeast), and Ste-Scholastique ( to the northwest). The federal government proposed that the airport should be located at Vaudreuil-Dorion. This location was well connected by existing road and rail routes, as well as being close enough to serve the population of the city; furthermore it could serve as the gateway to Ottawa as well as Montréal. Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa, who had a frosty relationship with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, reportedly did not want such an important project to be placed so close to the Ontario border. The Bourassa government preferred that the new airport be situated in Drummondville ( to the east). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Montréal–Mirabel International Airport」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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