Toronto City Council approves extending Billy Bishop Airport’s lease

Toronto City Council has voted in favour of extending Billy Bishop Airport’s lease by up to 12 years as part of the runway extension plan.

During Wednesday’s council meeting, Mayor Olivia Chow introduced a motion to move the end date of PortsToronto’s lease to operate the island airport from 2033 to no later than Dec. 2045 so it can secure funding to modify the runway to meet federal safety requirements.

The mayor’s motion passed by a vote of 17 to 8. PortsToronto asked that its lease be extended by 40 years through 2073, but city staff was against it.

Councillors also opted for city staff’s recommended plan to extend Billy Bishop Airport’s runway.

PortsToronto is facing a federal regulatory deadline of July 12, 2027 to have a Runway Safety End Area (RESA) at the airport. In 2021, Transport Canada mandated airports have at least 150 metres of safety length at the end of every runway serving commercial flights to prevent planes from missing the landing strip.

City staff are recommending a limited amendment of the tripartide agreement that governs the airport in order to add mass to the island to extend the runway.

Staff noted that the recommended plan provides a shortest construction timeline and smallest scope of lakefill. It will cost $61 to $64 million.

The other two options brought forward to council would have cost between $93 to $175 million, with the more expensive option costing more for the construction of additional airside roads, sound barriers, and underground utility corridors.

With files from CP24.com’s Joshua Freeman