There is a new federal airport safety requirement that must be met at all airports, including Toronto’s island airport: the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (BBTCA). The requirement is called the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) regulation.
The Runway End Safety Area is a Transport Canada safety requirement with a deadline for implementation at the island airport by mid-July 2027. Ports Toronto is reviewing options to meet this requirement. The City of Toronto is a signatory to the Tripartite Agreement that governs the island airport along with Ports Toronto and Transport Canada.
The island airport is part of Toronto’s waterfront and what happens there is of significant interest to our communities. Through years of planning and implementation, our waterfront is being revitalized with new parks and public spaces, better connections to the water, and dynamic new communities.
In September, over 3000 people participated in public consultation through an in-person meeting and an online survey.
It came to October City Council. You can find the reports and the full decision here.
Council voted to create a clear path to compliance. We approved moving forward with the option that delivers this federal safety obligation with the least risk, in the most efficient and most cost effective way, to enable meeting the strict compliance deadline of July 12, 2027. To do this, Council voted to give flexibility to extend the airport’s current timeframe by up to 12 years. This aligns with the amount of time needed for similar capital projects at the airport. This is only possible if Ports Toronto demonstrates to City staff that they need this extension to get the financing loan for the project.
We also took steps to advance the process to review the airport master plan and set timelines for renegotiating the tripartite agreement that governs the airport lands.
I’ll continue to work with all of you, to ensure our city’s interests are represented in the best way possible and for residents, community organizations, and all stakeholders to have their voices heard.
