Ottawa by air: on the skyways to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Ottawa by air; getting to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada by air, is relatively easy from anywhere in the world.

Your travel agent will know that the "code" for the international airport in Ottawa is CYOW. Usually the first two letters identify the country, and the latter two the destination airport within that country. This has been designated by the International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO.

If you are searching the internet for air travel info, the CYOW is the designation you would use. Some search sites only allow 3 letters for the airport code, and that being the case, the Ottawa designation would be YOW.

If you'd care for more data about airport codes, you can visit this site.

Airport info:

Ottawa International Airport
Airport Parkway
Ottawa, ON Canada K1V 9B4
Airport Switchboard: (613) 248-2000
Hours of operation: Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Ottawa Airport Web site

It's about 17 kilometers (approx. 11 miles) from the Ottawa International Airport to the Parliament Buildings. That being said, it's possible to spend 30-40 minutes or more driving time to downtown Ottawa, based on the circuitous route needed to get to down-town Ottawa from the airport, considering that there's traffic, weather issues in the winter time, and construction.

There's an airport-to-down-town shuttle bus that - when last checked - leaves the airport about every 30 minutes. Current operating times are 05:00 a.m. through to 11:30 p.m.

To see a Google map of the Ottawa Airport, and to better orient yourself to it from where you are staying in Ottawa, please click here.

The fare for one person to take the shuttle (pricing late 2005 – please check current pricing) is:

These rates are for travel from the Ottawa International Airport to the Chateau Laurier Hotel. The Chateau Laurier Hotel is located immediately to the east of the Parliament Buildings, in down-town Ottawa.

Other options for travelling from the airport to your destination in Ottawa are:

Public Transport

Taxi

Rental vehicles

While Ottawa is a fantastic city to bike and walk around in, like many larger cities, the commute to the airport is best accomplished by car, bus or taxi.

Many of the easily recognized international airlines travel to and through Ottawa International Airport. Some of these are: