Jean Lesage International Airport

The history of Jean Lesage International Airport goes back to 1929 when there was little more than a small airfield in Quebec City. Over the course of the next decade this site came into use infrequently, and by 1936 the place was almost completely abandoned. With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, however, the need for a functional airfield was established, and the decision was made to build one at L'Ancienne Lorette. Not long after, it became a school for air observers. The first flight here probably took place on September 11, 1941. By 1943, the quality of the airport had been upgraded through the addition new runway lights, taxiways and approaches, and a radio beacon. During the years immediately following the war, Canadian Pacific Airlines made use of the airport, and in March of 1945, the running of the airport was taken over by the Department of Transportation. Jean Lesage began serving jet airlines in 1964, and in 1976 the first charter flights to Europe took place.

The airport was officially renamed Jean Lesage Airport in 1993. In this same year 662,128 individuals (arriving in and departing from Quebec City) passed through. An international zone will be added in the fall of 1996.