​A long-standing airport partnership helps connect people across Quebec and beyond

​In this series, we’ll explore the power of collaboration and co-creation with our clients. These partnerships showcase how we rise to the world’s greatest challenges together.

​In an environment as complex and demanding as an airport, the most ambitious achievements are never the result of individual effort alone. They’re built—carefully and intentionally—through deep collaboration.

​For more than 15 years, we’ve worked alongside Quebec City Jean‑Lesage International Airport (YQB). Together, we’ve moved forward with a shared conviction: that high‑performing, safe airport infrastructure and a seamless, people‑first traveler experience must go hand in hand. What began as a series of mandates has grown into something far greater. We share an integrated engineering partnership rooted in trust, shared ambition, and a commitment to going beyond expectations.

​Welcoming close to 2 million passengers each year, YQB is a vital air transportation hub for the Quebec City region and eastern Quebec. Beyond its operational role, the airport is a powerful economic and tourism driver and a gateway through which Quebec presents itself to the world. Its identity is defined by a distinctive balance: infrastructure that’s on par with the standards of leading airports, paired with an exceptional traveler experience that feels personal, intuitive, and human. 

​Alexandre Noël, the airport’s associate director, planning and infrastructure, often describes it as “the smallest of the major airports”—a YQB tagline that reflects not only its scale, but also the organization’s culture. The agility of the YQB team, operational rigor, and close collaboration with partners are central to how the airport evolves, while continuing to serve passengers safely and efficiently.

​A partnership shaped by operational reality

​Over the years, our team has supported YQB across airside and terminal infrastructure projects. The work has been shaped by the constraints of an active airport environment—and always with passenger movement and safety front of mind.

​“From the very first stages of our work at YQB, it was clear how engaged everyone was—seen in the way ideas are exchanged, perspectives are challenged, and decisions take shape,” says Moez Gmach, senior principal, Airports at Stantec.  

​One early moment that demonstrated this approach was the rehabilitation of the airport’s main runway (06‑24), which was completed in 2017. The project was technically complex—requiring the team to work from a precise understanding of existing airfield conditions and to adapt the design accordingly, including airfield geometry, pavement structure and profiles, as well as electrical and lighting constraints. Beyond that, it required maintaining airport operations while rebuilding the intersection of two runways within a highly compressed timeframe. Rebuilding the intersection in just 13 consecutive days, 24h/24, demanded constant coordination and rapid decision‑making. “There was no room for error,” recalls Gmach. “During those days, there was no sense of day or night. What made it possible was the working environment. YQB created a climate of trust and collaboration that allowed everyone to operate as one team.”

​For Noël, the impact of that period went well beyond the construction site. “We were fully committed. I remember sleeping on site to make sure we could respond immediately if something happened. That experience strengthened our relationship in a lasting way.”

​Throughout the project, careful phasing and close coordination made it possible to limit operational disruptions. That helped passengers to keep travelling, even as critical infrastructure was being rebuilt.

​Beyond individual projects: Delivering long‑term value 

​Through the years, the partnership has matured. We’ve collaborated on a variety of work, moving beyond individual capital projects into long‑term planning and asset management.

​In 2020, amid the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, YQB used the sudden slowdown in air traffic to take a step back. With our help, the airport developed a 10‑year infrastructure plan to guide investment priorities and the sequencing of airside rehabilitation work. “That moment was important,” Noël explains. “We defined what our priorities had to be for the next decade, and Stantec helped us structure that plan.”

​This shared roadmap now informs multiple projects that are helping the airport modernize its infrastructure. And we’re doing it all while minimizing the impact on operations—and on passengers—during construction. 

​The strength of the partnership has also proven critical when conditions change unexpectedly. For example, Taxiways Golf and Hotel were set for rehabilitation between 2022 and 2024. Once the design was completed, YQB had the opportunity to accommodate an airline that enhanced its service to Quebec City by deploying a larger aircraft type. 

​The challenge? It required significant adjustments to the completed designs. 

​The solution? Working together, the teams revisited geometries, construction phasing, and operational procedures to adjust for the change without compromising safety or schedules.

​“These are the moments where collaboration really matters,” says Noël. “You need partners who understand operations and are ready to rethink solutions with you.”

​Growing better together

​Over time, this approach has shaped both organizations. For YQB, it has supported steady growth while preserving agility and reliability in daily operations. For Stantec, it deepens the ability to deliver complex projects in live operational settings.

​“Working with YQB pushed us to grow,” says Gmach. “It helped us strengthen our airport sector and continually improve how we approach airport projects.”

​By 2030, YQB plans to serve 2.4 million passengers. In harmony with that, the collaborative foundation with Stantec continues to guide the relationship.

​What connects each phase of this partnership is not a single project, but a shared way of working—one focused on trust, adaptability, and a common goal. As Noël says, “At the end of the day, success comes from collaboration and a shared commitment to a common goal among all team members, including professionals, contractors, and YQB.”

​With every community, we redefine what’s possible. Through collaboration with our clients, together we will unlock outcomes neither could achieve alone.