✈️ F1 Montreal Business Aviation Daily Traffic Reaches New High, PC-12 Leads Shuttle Market for Second Consecutive Year
Avi-Go data shows that during the 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix event window, a combined total of 656 business aviation movements were recorded across Montreal's CYUL and CYHU over a 6-day event period, averaging 109 movements per day. During the same event in 2025, a combined total of 722 movements were recorded over a 7-day period, averaging 103 movements per day — representing a year-over-year increase of 5.8% in daily average traffic. Notably, CYHU (Saint-Hubert Airport) contributed 255 movements in 2026, accounting for 39% of total traffic, effectively absorbing overflow pressure during peak event periods. Regarding fleet composition, the Pilatus PC-12 held the top position for the second consecutive year, recording 82 movements in 2026; the King Air 100, Phenom 300, and Citation CJ3+ followed closely behind, while the midsize category saw the Challenger 350 replaced by the Challenger 300. The overall fleet structure remained highly stable, confirming the strong resilience of business aviation demand during the event.
Impact: For FBOs and ground service providers at CYHU, with nearly 40% of total traffic concentrated at this airport, ramp space, fuel, and ground handling resources are approaching saturation thresholds during the event period, creating significant pricing leverage. The PC-12's continued dominance in the shuttle market also provides a stable seasonal revenue anchor for Pilatus authorized maintenance networks and operators.
Recommendation: Operators and FBOs looking to position themselves for the 2027 F1 Montreal race are advised to complete ramp slot reservation negotiations at CYHU before Q3 2026, to avoid resources being fully locked up as the event window approaches. PC-12 operators can proactively engage event sponsors and racing teams before end of 2026, leveraging two consecutive years of fleet leadership data as a commercial negotiating asset to secure charter agreements in advance.