Money was set aside for the construction of an airship base, airport and mooring mast in eastern Canada.

British experts came over in May 1927 to choose a site; they visited a number of locations in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, finally settling on a piece of land on the south shore of Montreal, at Saint-Hubert, and officially announcing this decision in August 1927.

On August 1, 1930, the R100 airship arrived after what was possibly the first non-stop passenger-carrying powered flight across the North Atlantic to land in Canada.

It was here that the body of Quebec Minister of Labour and Deputy Premier, Pierre Laporte, was found during the October Crisis of 1970.

[7] It was announced on February 27, 2023 that Porter Airlines will develop a new passenger terminal at the airport that is due to be completed in late 2025 and provide domestic flights throughout Canada.