Please feel free to use the below fast facts to support your feedback to Transport Canada on the Billy Bishop Airport. Your feedback will determine the future of Billy Bishop Airport and the Toronto Waterfront. Please share your thoughts with the Government of Canada!
You can submit feedback by:
- Completing the anonymous online survey
- Emailing written feedback to [email protected] with the subject line: “Consultation – Future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport”
- Mailing written feedback to:
Attention: Consultation – Future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Transport Canada, Air Policy
Place de Ville, Tower C
330 Sparks St
Ottawa ON K1A 0N5
Cost
- Expanding Billy Bishop is far too expensive for taxpayers facing a cost of living crisis. Porter Airlines assesses that flying the same commercial operation out of the Toronto Island Airport is three times more expensive than at Pearson Airport. Another independent report commissioned by Air Canada in 2015 found that airport expansion would cost at least $1 billion, including $50 million to add more parking spots, at least $92 million to expand the runway, and the cost of compliance with new Transport Canada safety rules. These costs will inevitably be passed on to taxpayers and reflected in skyrocketing ticket prices and airport improvement fees.
- The expansion is unnecessary. Air travel demand at Pearson has been growing, while Billy Bishop shed 800,000 passengers with the number of flights recorded last year at 1.7 million only. It’s not clear that demand can be rerouted to Billy Bishop without tremendous unnecessary cost.
Safety
- It is not safe to have high volumes of air traffic near high-rise buildings. In 2009, US Airways flight 1549 had an engine failure shortly after takeoff when a flock of Canada geese flew into the engines. It was a miracle that the plane did not crash into the densely populated city. We can’t hope for miracles to keep us safe. Even a minor accident would be devastating
- Large jets are dangerous to residents’ health. They shed large amounts of ultrafine particles that place people living nearby at greater risk of lung cancer. These planes would be emitting fumes 200 metres away from the elementary school across from Little Norway Park, affecting children’s developing lungs.
- The expansion would cause a 450% increase in downtown traffic, leading to more idling, pollution, congestion and collisions. The downtown core is already one of the most congested regions in North America. Worsening traffic will impact people’s ability to access local businesses, community centers, and other essential local services.
Environment
- Allowing jets to fly out of the island airport would require expanding the runway by 900 metres, the addition of a new terminal and other supplementary assets. These developments will have harmful impacts on air and water quality, bird migration, and delicate marine ecosystems. It supports over 315 species of plants, over 120 species of fish and numerous animals.