Montreal Airport just moved up 5 spots in the world rankings and it beat Toronto Pearson

If you’ve travelled through Montreal-Trudeau International Airport recently, here’s something you might not have expected to hear: it’s climbing the global rankings.

According to the newly-released 2026 World Airport Awards, YUL ranked 46th in the world this year, up from 51st in 2025. Toronto Pearson, meanwhile, held steady at 55th, maintaining the same spot as last year.

YUL also ranked second in North America for best airport staff, just behind Toronto Pearson, and 9th in the category for airports handling 20 to 30 million passengers annually. Last year, Montreal swept both the cleanest airport and best staff titles for the continent. So, the cleanliness crown may be gone, but the overall trajectory is still pointing in the right direction.

The annual ranking is published by Skytrax and is based on global passenger surveys covering everything from hygiene to service quality to how airport employees actually treat people.

However, it’s been a bit of a bumpy year for YUL. While the latest accolades are encouraging, back in September, the 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power surveyed more than 30,000 travellers to rate their airport experiences, from check-in and security to food options and overall vibes, and Montreal didn’t do so well.

With a score of 571 out of 1,000, YUL ranked second-to-last in the “large” airports category, beating only Philadelphia International by a single point.

Zooming out a little, Vancouver is still the undisputed best airport in North America. YVR landed 10th in the world this year, up from 13th in 2025, making it the only North American airport in the global top 10. Singapore Changi held the number one spot globally for the second year running, followed by Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Haneda.

Montreal is doing well for what it is. Just not quite Vancouver well.

On a related note: travellers in the greater Montreal area will soon have a second option. This week, it was revealed that a new terminal at MET — Montreal Metropolitan Airport in Saint-Hubert — will open on June 15, 2026, with Porter and Pascan among the first carriers.

You can explore the full rankings and results from the 2026 World Airport Awards at worldairportawards.com.