10. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport’s Runway End Safety Area Project

LOCATION:               Toronto, Ontario

Issue/Source:      Amended Tripartite Agreement Completed Enabling RESA Compliance at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (PortsToronto news release, January 28, 2025)

Date:                        May 2025

 

Suggested Responses  

• PortsToronto, as airport owner and operator is responsible for the Runway End Safety Area project at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

• Given the airport’s unique governance structure, amendments to the lease agreement between PortsToronto, the City of Toronto and Transport Canada were signed by the three parties in January 2025 to enable the project to proceed.

• As the aviation safety and security regulator, Transport Canada continues to monitor progress of this important  safety requirement at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. 

IF PRESSED

• The primary purpose of these amendments was to provide PortsToronto with the ability to comply with the Runway End Safety Area regulations by July 2027.  

• There will be no change to the aircraft type that can service the airport or extension of the runway.

• As part of this process, the Tripartite partners also committed to discussing a long-term lease extension and renegotiation of the Tripartite Agreement to ensure future operations of the airport.

• Any decisions about the future operating environment at the airport will require agreement from all signatories and adequate consultations with key stakeholders, implicated communities, and Indigenous groups.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is ranked as Canada’s tenth busiest airport and handled 1.9 million passengers in 2024, representing 1.2% of Canada’s total passengers. The airport is governed under a unique Tripartite Agreement signed in 1983 between the federal government, the City of Toronto and PortsToronto. This agreement imposes restrictions on the airport operations, including noise limits, hours of operation, and prohibitions on runway extensions, landmass expansions and jet aircraft. The consent of all three parties is required for any amendments.

• In 2022, Transport Canada amended the Canadian Aviation Regulations to require Canadian airports with annual passenger traffic of at least 325,000 for two consecutive years to have Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) to reduce the severity of damage to an aircraft overrunning or undershooting a runway. Compliance is more complex at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport due to its unique geography and operating environment on an island and it requires amendments to the Tripartite Agreement. Nonetheless, PortsToronto is legally required to implement RESA by July 12, 2027.  

• Following a rigorous process to determine and assess options, the Tripartite partners identified a minimum landmass expansion as the most viable option to bring the airport into compliance with the requirements within the identified timelines. On January 28, 2025, the Tripartite partners signed an Amending Agreement that includes permission to undertake a landmass expansion to support construction of RESA, while outlining some terms and conditions, including:
  • Obtaining all necessary approvals and permits.
  • Completing an environmental assessment.
  • Engaging the Toronto Region Conservation Authority to ensure alignment with the objectives to the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy.
  • Developing a construction management plan.
  • Incurring all costs pertaining directly or indirectly to the RESA project or associated work.
  • A 12-year extension of the Agreement, bringing it to December 31, 2045, enabling PortsToronto to secure adequate financing for the project.
  • An acknowledgement that the Tripartite partners will discuss a long-term lease extension and renegotiation of the Tripartite Agreement to ensure future operations of the airport.

• Transport Canada has engaged in preliminary conversations on RESA construction plans and is awaiting a formal Plan of Construction from PortsToronto. This document will outline proposed construction activities of an aerodrome, including timelines, safety measures, and steps to ensure continued compliance with regulatory requirements during the construction period. The Department is also currently awaiting engagement from PortsToronto regarding updates to their Airport Master Plan.