Edmonton International Airport (YEG) serves the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. It is the province's second-busiest airport, after Calgary International Airport.
YEG is located near Leduc, about 30 km south of downtown Edmonton. It takes around 30 minutes to drive to the city via Highway 2.
The airport handles around 7-8 million passengers annually, ranking as the fifth-busiest in Canada.
Major Airlines - WestJet
YEG is a focus airport for WestJet, which is coincidentally the airline with the most flights at the airport. It operates domestic flights to Canada’s largest cities, including Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, several routes to major US airports, such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and a few seasonal routes to holiday destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, for a total of more than 60 departures per day.
Air Canada also maintains a strong presence, with more than 600 flights per month to Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Its subsidiaries, Air Canada Express and Air Canada Rouge, serve the regional flight market and the low-cost leisure segment, respectively.
Flair Airlines, Canada’s largest ultra-low-cost carrier, has a base at Edmonton Airport and maintains routes to 8 domestic destinations.
There are year-round transborder flights to the US by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. Of the few long-haul routes, the most prominent one is to Amsterdam by KLM.
You can click here for the live departure board at Edmonton Airport.
Terminal Layout and Gates
Edmonton Airport has a single terminal spread over two levels as follows:
Level 1: Arrivals, including Immigration and customs, and baggage reclaim for all flights.
- Level 2: Departures, including all check-in counters, Security, US Pre-Clearance, and all gates (from 7 to 88), which are split into two concourses/aprons:
Concourse A: Has 11 gates and is used by Air Canada, WestJet, and United Airlines. Located left of the central area.
Concourse B: Has 15 gates and is used by all other airlines. Located right of the central area.
All domestic and international flights share the same Security checkpoint.
The US pre-clearance checkpoint leads to a physically separated area at the south end of the terminal and contains Gates 76 to 88.
The airport is open 24/7 and allows travelers to stay indoors overnight.
Connecting Flights and Transit at YEG
Unlike US airports, Edmonton has an international transit area where you can remain between two connecting flights.
Domestic connections are trivial because there are no checkpoints, and all you need to do is find your next gate in the Departures concourse.
In case of an international-to-domestic transfer, follow the signs to the Arrivals area. You will go through Canadian Immigration, then continue through the transit corridor, clear Security, and proceed to the Departure area.
If your second flight is bound for the USA, there is an additional check by US Immigration. Edmonton Airport has US pre-clearance facilities, which means that you will go through US Border Control before departure and arrive in the US as if on a domestic flight.
The minimum connection times are typically just a few minutes for domestic transfers and 75-120 minutes for international or US-bound connections.
In all cases, as long as your two flights are under the same reservation (PNR), you don’t need to collect your luggage, and it will be transferred automatically by the airline.
Free Wi-Fi and other services
Edmonton Airport provides free WiFi throughout all public areas of the terminal. To connect, select the “YEG_WIFI” network from the list of available ones, then open your web browser and click “Sign in or Join” or “Connect as Guest”.
You may also use the computer terminal at the Information Booth on the Arrivals level for free for up to 10 minutes.
Other passenger services at the airport include:
ATMs: Many of the major Canadian banks have machines in both Arrivals and Departures.
Currency exchange: International Currency Exchange (ICE) has desks at 4 locations around YEG.
Information Booth: Located across from Door 7 on the Arrivals level. Available from 8 AM to 12 AM.
Concierge Desk: Past security in the Central Hall.
Lost & Found: Located at the Information Booth across from Door 7, Arrivals.
Coat check: You can leave your coat at the Ground Parking and Transportation Service booth next to Door 7. It’s complimentary if you’ve parked at any of the airport’s parking lots, otherwise it costs 2 CAD.
- Baby care rooms: Located in 2 places at YEG:
Between Gates 14 and 16, airside.
Near the observation deck on Level 3 Mezzanine, landside.
Multifaith prayer room: Near Door 10 on the Arrivals level. Open 24/7.
Sensory room: Across from Gate 49 in Departures.
- Smoking areas: Smoking is only allowed in these areas throughout the airport. Medicinal cannabis is allowed but recreational is not.
Outside Door 1, Arrivals.
Outside Door 10, Arrivals.
Across from Doors 5 and 7, between the terminal and parkade, Arrivals.
Outside door 25, Departures.
Outside door 30, Departures.
Baggage storage: Only available for connecting passengers flying within the next 24 hours. Located at the Ground Transportation Office in Arrivals. Costs between 3 and 10 CAD, depending on the size of the item.
Water refill stations: Across from Gates 60, 66, and 72.
Pet relief areas: Inside the terminal, there are fully-equipped relief areas between Gate 52 and Gate 54, and near Gate 88 (US departures). Outside, there are relief areas north of Door 1 by the pathway and across from Door 3 by the parkade.
Lounges at Edmonton Airport
YEG has 3 lounges:
Plaza Premium Lounge: Located in non-US departures, near Gate 52. Open daily from 4:30 AM to midnight.
Plaza Premium Lounge: Located in US departures. Open from 5 AM to 4:30 PM.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge: Located after Security, near Gate 54. Open from 4:30 AM to midnight every day. Welcomes passengers of Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express, or Star Alliance members. Not available for flights bound for the US from Edmonton.
The two Plaza Premium lounges are open to passengers of all airlines and offer comfortable seating, business workstations, reading materials, TVs, hot and cold meals, soups and salads, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Dining Options at YEG
Most of the restaurants, bars, and cafes are in the central hall of the terminal, after the Security check. There are fewer options the further you go toward individual gates.
The US Departures area has its own separate dining selection of 4-5 outlets.
Before Security (landside), especially if you’re waiting for a friend to arrive, you can grab something to eat or drink at:
HALO Bistro & Bar
Tim Hortons
The Canadian Brewhouse
There is also a Circle K convenience store that remains open 24/7.
After security, but before the US pre-clearance Immigration check, there are many places to choose from, the most popular of which include:
Chili’s: Near Gate 52.
Avalon: Near Gate 58.
The Canadian Brewhouse: Near Gate 49.
Upper Crust: In the Central Hall.
Tim Hortons: Near Gate 18.
Wok Box: Near Gate 58.
Caffè Sorrentino: Near Gate 66.
Lastly, the US Departure area is separated from the rest of the terminal by the US pre-clearance immigration check. Thus, there are a few dining options there, which you can only go to if you’re flying to the USA, which include:
Chili’s Express
Tap & Pour Gastropub
Booster Juice
Starbucks
Transport to and from the airport
Route 747 express bus connects Edmonton Airport to the Century Park LRT station. There, you can transfer to the Capital Line tram, part of the city rail network. This is the primary public transport option at YEG. Tickets for the two cost 8.50 CAD combined.
SunDog Tours is a shuttle provider that offers routes to Edson, Hinton, and Jasper, while Leduc Transit is the best option if you’re going to Leduc.
A more convenient, but much more expensive option is to take a taxi. They take just 30 minutes to reach downtown under normal conditions and cost a flat rate of 62 CAD. Limos charge 71 CAD flat. Taxi and limos both wait curbside outside Door 9, on the Arrivals level.
Ridesharing is popular in Edmonton, courtesy of Uber and Lyft. The pick-up location is outside Door 10.
To explore more of Alberta on your own, consider renting a car at the airport. Car rental agencies, including Avis, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Dollar, Hertz, National, and Thrifty, are located on the ground level of the parkade, outside Door 8.
Parking at Edmonton Airport
Edmonton Airport has 3 parking options for different styles and budgets:
Parkade: Covered parking directly across from the terminal with covered walkways to it. Costs 4.50 CAD per 20 minutes, 37 CAD per day, or 185 CAD per week (drive-up rates).
Value Park: The cheapest available parking option, suitable for long-term stays and served by a free shuttle bus that takes 5 minutes to reach the terminal. Costs 3.00 CAD per 30 minutes, 20 CAD per day, 100 CAD per week, or 300 CAD per month (drive-up rates).
Priority Valet: Offers first-class service and quick access to the terminal. The Valet Office is in a reserved area between Door 27 and Door 28 on the Departures Level. Upon return, your vehicle will be ready and waiting near Door 7 on the Arrivals Level at Ground Transportation. This service costs 52 CAD per day or 364 CAD per week.
Booking longer stays online will yield slightly cheaper rates. All online parking reservations at Value Park and Parkade use a QR code to access the parking lot, which you will receive via email. You won’t be able to use your credit card at the gates for online reservations.
Hotels near Edmonton Airport
The most practical hotel is the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel, because it is directly connected to the terminal via an indoor walkway. This 4-star property features a gym and a pool, a classy lounge bar, and buffet breakfast.
Another option is the Fairfield by Marriott Edmonton International Airport, which is about a 5-minute drive from the terminal. It provides free shuttle service. This 3-star hotel also has a gym, a pool, a shared lounge, and free private parking.
Edmonton, AB, Canada
