“Let's fix the runway now”: Toronto Mayor addresses Billy Bishop runway extension

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) might soon get an extended runway.

As reported by CTV News on Tuesday (Oct. 1), Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s Executive Committee has adopted a report to fix the downtown airport’s runway, which is reportedly too short.

PortsToronto has a federal regulatory deadline of July 12, 2027 to have a Runway Safety End Area (RESA) at Billy Bishop.

Ottawa says the requirement applies to all airports in Canada in 2021, meaning, airports need to have at least 150 metres of safety length at each end of the runways for commercial flights. 

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

PortsToronto is also asking that its lease to operate the airport be extended by 40 years through 2073 in order to allow a longer window for financing the expansion.

“For 14 years Billy Bishop airport knows that runway is too short. So what should be the goal? Build as quickly as possible a runway that is long enough to make it safe," Chow told reporters yesterday. "That is our top priority because heaven forbid, I don't want a plane having trouble because the runway is not long enough."

She said the question of the tripartide agreement is "a long conversation" that can be had down the road.

"We can have that conversation after we fix the runway. Let's fix the runway now," Chow said.

At its meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Chow's executive committee approved one of three options to meet the requirement for what are called runway end safety areas.

The intention of a runway end safety area, which is ground level land past the end of a runway, is to "reduce the severity of damage to an aircraft" if it were to overshoot or overrun a runway, city staff said.

The item goes to council on Oct. 9 for final approval.

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