Montréal-MirabelInternationalAirport，(orMontréalInternational(Mirabel)Airport)originallycalledMontrealInternationalAirportandwidelyknownsimplyasMirabel，isalargeairportlocatedinMirabel，Quebec，nearMontrealandwasopened4October1975.Theairportnowservesonlycargoflights，andisamanufacturingbaseofBombardierAerospace，wherefinalassemblyofregionaljets(CRJ700andCRJ900)aircraftisconducted.Itisthesecondlargestairportintheworldintermsofarea(392km2).DespitebeingintendedtobecometheeasternairgatewaytoCanada，theairport‘slocationandlackoftransportlinks，aswellasMontreal’seconomicdeclinerelativetoToronto，madeitunpopularwithairlines.Eventuallyitwasrelegatedtothesimpleroleofacargoairport.Theairport，initiallyasourceofpride，eventuallybecameanembarrassmentwidelyregardedinCanadaasbeingaboondoggleandawhiteelephant.Itwasbuilttohandle50millionpassengersayear.Technicallyspeaking，itisstilltheonlyairportinCanadabuilttoaccommodatethosenumbers.Toronto-Pearsonhowever，isslowlyonitswaytosurpassingit.