GTAA - Chapter 1:Layout 1 - Toronto Pearson International Airport

1
Introduction
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CHAPTER
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I N T R O D UC T I O N
1.1
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
1 . 1 B AC KG RO UND
Toronto Pearson International
Airport had its origins in 1937
when the federal government acquired nine farms in the Malton
area to serve as an airport site for
the City of Toronto. Toronto
Municipal Airport in Malton
opened in 1938 offering two hard
surface runways, one grass landing
strip and a converted farmhouse
for a terminal building. From
these modest beginnings at a
remote location on the outskirts
of what is now the most populous
city in Canada, Toronto Pearson
International Airport has evolved
to become Canada’s busiest airport
and one of the country’s most significant pieces of transportation
infrastructure. In 2006, the
Airport handled close to 31 million passengers, 417,000 aircraft
movements and 517,000 tonnes
of cargo.
Toronto Pearson is surrounded
by the rapidly growing Greater
Toronto Area (GTA) and serves a
region with a population in excess
of 5.5 million people. By 2020,
the GTA’s population will likely
reach 7.3 million at which time it
is estimated that some 50 million
passengers and 637,000 aircraft
movements per year will use the
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Airport’s facilities. By 2030, the
GTA’s population is expected to
reach 8.2 million and the demand
for Toronto Pearson’s facilities is
projected to be 66 million passengers and 801,000 aircraft movements. As the GTA continues to
grow, so does its air travel needs
and its reliance on a world
class airport.
The Greater Toronto Airports
Authority (GTAA) is now in its
11th year of operating and managing Toronto Pearson. The GTAA’s
mandate is to ensure that the
Airport’s facilities and air services
match the needs of the growing
population of the GTA and southcentral Ontario. To address this
significant responsibility, the
GTAA embarked on a 30-year
vision for the development of
Toronto Pearson in 1996. Since
that time, the GTAA’s primary
focus has been to replace obsolete
airport infrastructure in order to
improve the facilities and services
that Toronto Pearson has to offer
the region it serves.
For the past eight years,
The Airport Master Plan
(2000-2020), published
in 1999, has provided
the framework for the
redevelopment of Toronto Pearson.
Since the 1999 Master Plan was
adopted, the majority of projects
it envisioned have been completed, and it is now appropriate
to update this important
planning document.
The updated Toronto Pearson
Airport Master Plan will present
the traffic demand forecasts and
required facility infrastructure to
meet capacity requirements
through to 2030. Within this
planning horizon, Toronto Pearson
is projected to reach its practical
capacity. Accordingly, the Toronto
Pearson Airport Master Plan will
explore capacity optimization
opportunities and the eventual
need to address airport capacity
planning and management as
Toronto Pearson approaches its
ultimate capacity.
1.2
decisions; and, it provides a consistent and publicly recognizable
vehicle for federal and provincial
governments, investors and stakeholders to assess the progress
being made.
Terminal 1 and Apron Area
1 . 2 A I R P O RT M A S T E R
P L A N P R O FIL E
1.2.1 Master Plan Objectives
The primary purpose of the
Airport Master Plan is to describe
the long-term development of
facilities that will be required to
enable Toronto Pearson to meet its
strategic objectives while efficiently
serving the needs of the travelling
public and the region it serves.
The Master Plan serves not only as
a blueprint for the development of
the Airport’s physical facilities, it
also provides a snapshot of its
existing facilities, conditions, and
capabilities; examines future needs;
and establishes the Land Use Plan
for the Airport.
The Master Plan is a comprehensive study of the Airport that
describes the short-, medium- and
long-term plans for airport development. The Master Plan will
address airfield, passenger terminal, groundside access, cargo,
business aviation, support and
ancillary facilities, and the facility
improvements required to enhance
the overall operating efficiency of
the Airport.
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Another major objective of the
Master Plan is to provide the
framework required for corporate
decision-making that allows airport management to make day-today decisions aimed at preserving
long-term development options. It
also guides technical staff by providing sufficient warning before
new facilities and services will be
required and makes it clear at an
early stage the key milestones of
airport development.
The Airport Master Plan will also
be of great interest to the Airport’s
many partners and stakeholders. It
provides an indication of the
GTAA’s plans for infrastructure
development and creates longterm clarity and certainty for all
those affected or interested; it
serves to notify commercial,
industrial and community interests
of the future plans for airport
development in time for their
comment, assistance and participation; it provides a useful tool for
communicating to a range of
stakeholders, including airlines,
funding institutions, local and
regional municipal authorities and
other local interests to allow them
to make well-informed investment
In light of the investment and airport redevelopment undertaken at
Toronto Pearson by the GTAA
over the last decade, an update to
the Master Plan is required. With
the major construction phase now
complete, it is necessary to review
the timing of future development
at Toronto Pearson.
1.2.2 Master Plan History
The first Master Plan for Toronto
Pearson was released by the federal
Department of Transport in 1967
and was followed by numerous
studies over the next 30 years that
addressed airport growth and the
provision of adequate airport
capacity to meet the rapidly
growing air traffic demands of
the Toronto Region.
Following the decisions to discontinue development of the
Pickering lands, the Department
of Transport produced the Malton
Contingency Plan in 1975 which
recommended 36 courses of
action aimed at squeezing more
capacity out of existing facilities to
enable the Airport to cope with
demand pressures up until 1982.
A new Master Plan was published
by Transport Canada in 1982 that
recommended a number of major
improvements to airport operations and facilities. Improvements
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included the construction of a
third terminal, expansion of cargo
operations, expansion and development of air carrier maintenance
facilities, and improvements to
ground transportation facilities, air
traffic services, air navigation and
airside facilities. It further emphasized that development of the
Airport would be done on an
incremental basis in order to
respond to the constantly changing
demands for airport facilities.
The 1982 Master Plan also established a Land Use Plan for the
Airport that identified specific
areas designated for on-site development. The Infield Area south
and west of Runway 15-33 was to
remain undeveloped in the immediate term, but was to be retained
for long-term development of terminal, cargo, and other facilities,
as required during the 1990s
and beyond.
The Master Plan was updated
again by Transport Canada in
1986 and stressed the primary
need to ensure adequate terminal
and groundside capacity over the
next 10 years. A major component
of this Master Plan was the 1984
Airside Capacity Study, which recognized that additional runway
capacity would ultimately be
required if Toronto Pearson was to
continue as the primary air carrier
airport in the Toronto area.
The 1986 Master Plan concluded
that a multi-sector third terminal
was required in the near term and
further recommended that proposals to design, construct, and
operate a third terminal be sought
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from the private sector. The Plan
also presented specific proposals
for the further long-term
development of airport lands.
Transport Canada issued a revised
Master Plan in 1995 in response
to the federal government’s new
direction for Toronto Pearson. The
focus of this Master Plan was the
development of Toronto Pearson’s
airside system to its ultimate
capacity and the provision of additional passenger terminal capacity
beyond the year 2000. The Land
Use Plan further refined the longterm development concept for the
Airport and subsequently formed
the basis for the planning and
development decisions made by
the GTAA.
Shortly after the release of the
1995 Master Plan, the GTAA
unveiled a concept to replace
Terminals 1 and 2 with a single
unified terminal capable of accommodating 45 to 50 million passengers per year in conjunction with
Terminal 3, which was consistent
with the approved Land Use Plan.
The GTAA published its first
Master Plan for Toronto Pearson
in December 1999. The focus of
the 1999 Master Plan was the
development of passenger terminal
facilities required to meet aviation
demand over the 2000-2020 planning horizon. It defined the longterm vision for Toronto Pearson
and the Airport Development
Program (ADP) that was required
to provide sufficient capacity for
the next 20 years to maximize the
development potential of
Toronto Pearson.
1.2.3 Master Plan Setting 2007
The development of Toronto
Pearson, as described in this
Master Plan, is predicated on a
number of planning parameters
and assumptions which include
the following:
• Population and demand for air
transportation within the GTA
and south-central Ontario will
continue to grow.
• Toronto Pearson will remain the
principal international airport
for commercial traffic within
southern Ontario for the duration
of the Master Plan timeframe.
• Aircraft operations will continue
under the current regulatory
environment.
1.4
future development at Toronto
Pearson. It will explore optimization options and discuss the need
for additional airport capacity to
accommodate the region’s air
travel activity as Toronto Pearson
approaches its optimum capacity.
• Toronto Pearson is situated in a
built-up urban area with little
room for expansion.
• Adequate external transportation
infrastructure within the GTA
will be provided by the relevant
municipal, regional and provincial authorities to ensure that
passengers, freight, employees,
and visitors can access the
Airport.
• With the ADP complete, Toronto
Pearson has reached a mature
stage of development thereby
establishing the foundation for
the Airport to achieve its optimum capacity (that which best
balances financial, environmental
and social considerations).
• Wherever possible, incremental
expansion of existing facilities
will be used to deliver new
capacity.
• Toronto Pearson will be
developed to its optimum
capacity, which will likely be
reached within the 2030
planning horizon.
• Optimization measures will be
required to ensure the highest
and best use of existing and
planned facilities.
• Reliever airport capacity will be
required at other airport sites in
southern Ontario before 2030.
In summary, this Airport Master
Plan will review the timing of
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1.2.4 Master Plan Approach
This Master Plan provides the
strategy for the long-term development of the Airport over the planning horizon to 2030 and will
examine the following topics:
• The socio-economic profiles of
the local and regional communities the Airport serves.
• The types of aviation activity
that Toronto Pearson is intended
to serve throughout the planning horizon.
• The airport environment and
the environmental impact of the
Master Plan.
• Airfield, passenger terminal and
ground transportation facilities,
capacities and development
plans, including transit initiatives; description of the ultimate
build-out of Toronto Pearson
facilities and the balancing of
key systems.
• Practical and maximum airside
capacity.
• Airport commercial services and
facilities such as Business
Aviation, airline support, and
cargo facilities.
• Airport operational support
facilities and services including
emergency services, airport
maintenance, administrative
facilities and utilities.
• The Airport’s noise management
plan.
• The Land Use Plan that identifies
space requirements for aviation
activities during the planning
horizon and designates land into
areas for specific types of activity.
• Opportunities for optimizing the
use of the physical infrastructure,
given that the Airport has
reached a mature stage of development; identification of capacity optimization options aimed
at achieving efficiency improvements and increased throughput.
• Requirements for airport
capacity to meet the long-term
aviation needs of the GTA and
south-central Ontario.
This Master Plan for Toronto
Pearson builds upon the GTAA’s
long-term vision for the Airport
as presented in the 1999 Airport
Master Plan (2000-2020). It provides the framework for development over the 2008-2030
timeframe and combines them
into an overall picture of what
facility requirements and future
planning options are necessary to
accommodate forecast traffic
volumes.
1.3 AIRPORT PROFILE
1.3.1 Airport Setting
Toronto Pearson is located 25 km
northwest of Toronto’s central
business district in the heart of the
southern Ontario region. The
Airport is surrounded by a variety
of industrial, commercial and residential land uses and is bound by
1.5
a series of major highways and
regional arterial roads:
• Hwy 401, part of the TransCanada Hwy, borders the Airport
to the south.
• Hwy 427 forms part of the
eastern boundary of the Airport
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and provides a link to downtown Toronto via the Gardiner
Expressway.
• From the northeast to the southwest, the Airport is bordered by
Airport Road, Derry Road and
Dixie Road.
Ground transportation links from
the Airport to business and residential centres of south-central
Ontario are provided by nine
major highways, (including Hwy
401, the principal east/west highway through southern Ontario), a
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growth in the international sector.
If current trends continue, passenger traffic is forecast to reach
36 million passengers by 2010,
50 million passengers by the year
2020 and 66 million passengers
by 2030. Similarly, aircraft movements have shown healthy growth
between 1996 and 2006, from
375,000 to 417,000, and are
expected to reach 637,000 by
2020 and 801,000 by 2030.
Toronto International Airport, 1964
vast system of local and regional
roadway systems, and various
modes of public transit.
Toronto Pearson is situated in the
northeastern corner of the City of
Mississauga although a small portion of the Airport is located
within the City of Toronto. The
communities surrounding Toronto
Pearson also include the City of
Brampton and the Town of
Caledon within the Regional
Municipality of Peel, the City of
Vaughan in the Regional Municipality of York, and the towns of
Halton Hills and Milton in the
Regional Municipality of Halton.
Due to their proximity to the
Airport, these communities derive
the most direct benefits and the
greatest impact of Toronto
Pearson’s operations.
1.3.2 Aviation Setting
Toronto Pearson is the principal
commercial service airport in the
Greater Toronto Area and southcentral Ontario and, with its
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
central location within the
national transportation network, it
is Canada’s primary hub for
domestic, transborder and international air travel. Toronto Pearson
is also the country’s busiest airport
handling over 30 per cent of
Canada’s air passenger traffic,
47 per cent of the nation’s air
cargo and 12 per cent of Canada’s
aircraft movements each year making it the focal point for regional,
provincial and national aviation.
Toronto Pearson has served as
Canada’s main international airport since 1957 and as Canada’s
busiest airport since 1962. In
2006, Toronto Pearson ranked
29th in the world for passenger
traffic, 17th in North America for
passenger traffic, and 2nd in North
America in terms of international
traffic after New York (JFK).
The Airport has enjoyed significant growth over the last decade
(1996-2006). Passenger volumes
have grown from 24.26 million to
30.97 million, averaging 2.5 per
cent per annum led by strong
Today Toronto Pearson serves a
network of over 120 non-stop
international and domestic destinations and same-plane service to
100 other international cities, and
the list is growing. These routes in
turn provide links to the remaining world markets. Due to its
proximity to the populous U.S.
market, Toronto Pearson plays a
key role in the North American
air route structure with service
provided by 79 airlines. There are
11 domestic, 26 U.S.-based, and
42 other foreign airlines.
Additional airlines are seeking
government approval to gain landing rights in Toronto. Scheduled
services are supplemented by significant charter activity to numerous North American, Caribbean,
Latin American, and European
destinations. In addition to passenger service, eight airlines provided regular cargo and courier
service and over 200 business aviation operators offered service to
numerous domestic and transborder destinations in 2006.
Due to its favourable location
within Canada, Toronto Pearson
1.7
1.3.4 Toronto Pearson
International Airport Today
The area of land within the current operational boundary of
Toronto Pearson covers 1,867 hectares (4,613 acres) and encompasses airside facilities, passenger
and cargo terminals, parking,
access roads, business aviation,
and aviation support facilities.
Terminal 1
not only serves those visiting or
living within south-central
Ontario, but also the growing
number of passengers using the
Airport as a connecting point for
onward journeys. Toronto’s central
gateway location means that an
estimated 60 per cent of North
America’s population is within a
90-minute flight from Toronto
Pearson.
Given this strategic location and
available capacity, the GTAA will
focus on the development of
Toronto Pearson’s gateway status
as a means to diversify revenue
and ensure the residents of the
GTA access to an increased
number of destinations.
The Toronto City Centre Airport
is the only other airport within
the GTA that accommodates
scheduled airline service, albeit on
a very limited basis. The Toronto
City Centre Airport is located offshore from downtown Toronto on
Toronto Island and is operated by
the Toronto Port Authority.
Hamilton International Airport,
currently served by three passenger
airlines, has taken on a significant
role as an air cargo/courier airport.
The Region of Waterloo International Airport has recently
introduced commercial air service
to Florida and Caribbean destinations. Other southern Ontario airports such as Buttonville,
Brampton, Burlington, and
Oshawa provide opportunities for
general aviation and commercial
service in the vicinity of the GTA,
but none has the infrastructure for
significant scheduled air service.
The closest commercial airport
with any extensive passenger
service is in Buffalo, New York.
1.3.3 Historical Profile
Toronto Pearson International
Airport has come a long way since
its early days as Malton Airport.
What began as a 420-hectare airfield located on farmland situated
on the outskirts of Toronto has
become Canada’s largest and
busiest airport. The highlights of
Toronto Pearson’s history are illustrated in Figure 1-2 located at the
end of this chapter.
Airside Facilities
Toronto Pearson currently has five
runways in operation aligned in
both the east-west direction and
the north-south direction.
The east/west runways are:
• Runway 06L-24R measures
2,956 metres (9,697 feet)
in length,
• Runway 06R-24L measures
2,743 metres (9,000 feet)
in length,
• Runway 05-23 measures
3,389 metres (11,120 feet)
in length.
The north/south runways are:
• Runway 15L-33R measures
3,368 metres (11,050 feet)
in length,
• Runway 15R-33L measures
2,770 metres (9,088 feet)
in length.
The existing five-runway system is
capable of handling 520,000 to
Terminal 1
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
1.8
of the new terminal and will continue to serve as an overflow facility
in the years to come. The IFT
offers 11 bridged aircraft gates and
provides additional passenger processing capacity of approximately
four million annual passengers.
Terminal 3
610,000 arriving and departing
flights per annum.
An extensive system of taxiways,
measuring over 40 kilometres in
length, provides access between the
runways and the passenger terminal, air cargo and airline hangar
areas. The Central Deicing Facility
also forms part of the airside system
and consists of six deicing bays, six
staging bays, an operations centre
and a central glycol storage area.
Other airside facilities include the
terminal apron areas, airside roads,
and the vast system of electronic,
communication, navigational and
visual approach aids that provide
both precision and non-precision
approaches to the runway system.
Passenger Terminals
Toronto Pearson has two passenger terminals offering 97 bridged
aircraft gates and 32 commuter
positions, bringing the current
estimated maximum capacity of
the Airport’s terminal system to
approximately 38-40 million passengers. Both Terminals 1 and 3
handle all three sectors of traffic:
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domestic, transborder (CanadaU.S.), and international
passengers.
Terminal 1, with 49 bridged gates
and nine commuter positions, is
the base for all of Air Canada’s
operations, as well as for the international Star Alliance member
airlines plus several other international airlines. The Terminal 1
Satellite provides an additional
15 commuter aircraft positions
which brings the practical capacity
of Terminal 1 to approximately
21 million annual passengers.
Terminal 3, with 32 bridged gates
and three commuter aircraft
positions, is the base for more
than 50 airlines from around the
world including WestJet, the
“Skyteam” alliance airlines, and
the “oneworld” alliance of airlines.
The Terminal 3 Satellite provides
a further five bridged gates and
five commuter aircraft positions
bringing the total capacity of
Terminal 3 to approximately
14 million annual passengers.
The Infield Terminal (IFT) was
built to provide additional gating
capacity during the construction
Ground Transportation Access,
Circulation and Parking
The groundside road system links
all terminals as well as the various
cargo and air carrier support facilities. Parking garages are provided
at both terminals. The Terminal 1
Parking Garage is an eight-level
structure offering 9,000 spaces and
the Terminal 3 Parking Garage is a
five-level structure providing 4,200
spaces. Other parking areas
include the remote Reduced Rate
Parking Lot located across Airport
Road with 2,400 spaces, employee
parking facilities located throughout the Airport totalling 7,000
spaces, and a consolidated Commercial Vehicle Holding Area for
taxis, limousines and charter buses.
An elevated Automated People
Mover, known as the LINK Train,
is capable of moving between
10,000 and 12,000 people per day
and provides the link between the
Reduced Rate Parking Lot,
Terminal 1, and Terminal 3 via
cable-pulled trains.
Terminal 3
1.9
1.10
Airport LINK Train
Air Cargo Facilities
Air cargo operations take place at
three different locations on the
Airport: the Vista Cargo area, the
Airport Infield, and the FedEx site.
The Infield Cargo area (also
known as Cargo West) includes
three cargo buildings, a large
common-use cargo apron, vehicle
parking and truck manoeuvering
areas. Tenants include Air Canada,
American Airlines, WestJet and
Worldwide Flight Services. The
Infield Cargo area is connected to
the passenger terminal area by a
598 m, four-lane vehicle tunnel.
The Vista Cargo area (or Cargo
East) is a privately owned and
operated complex that consists of
a multi-tenant U-shaped facility
with an adjacent apron area. The
FedEx Cargo area (Cargo North)
serves as the Canadian hub
for Federal Express. The site is
home to two cargo buildings plus
dedicated ramp space.
Business Aviation Facilities
The Business Aviation Area
houses some 11 hangars and two
fuelling facilities and is home to
two Fixed Base Operators (FBOs),
Skycharter and Landmark
Aviation. A third FBO, Skyservice
FBO, is located in the Infield
Area. FBOs provide a range of
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
services to the aviation community including parking, fuelling,
servicing, and hangarage of aircraft. Ground transportation
services, communications facilities,
lounges, meeting rooms, catering
services, customs, and flight planning facilities are also provided to
visiting pilots and passengers.
Commercial aircraft operators in
the Business Aviation area serve a
variety of aviation segments,
including special purpose passenger service such as executive, air
ambulance, and tour operations.
Airline and Airport Support
Facilities
A wide variety of support services
housed in numerous facilities
throughout the Airport are necessary to facilitate aircraft operations, airport maintenance and
administrative functions.
Facilities dedicated to the servicing
of aircraft operations at Toronto
Pearson include seven airline aircraft maintenance hangars operated by Air Canada, Skyservice,
Air Transat, and the GTAA. These
facilities are used for line maintenance including routine aircraft
maintenance and inspection.
Infield Terminal and Airside View of Terminals 1 & 3
Other facilities include three flight
kitchens operated by CARA and
CLS Catering Services, six aircraft
ground handling equipment maintenance facilities, fuelling facilities,
and aircraft waste facilities.
Airport support facilities include
emergency response and coordination, policing, security, airport and
airfield maintenance, and various
administrative functions. Toronto
Pearson is home to three fire halls
plus a state-of-the-art fire training
area, an Emergency Coordination
Centre, a canine unit, an airport
security and pass control building,
and a police station to accommodate the Region of Peel Police
Department. Other on-site support
functions include an airside bussing
facility, central workshops and
stores, GTAA Administration
Building, Central Utilities Plant,
Cogeneration Plant and 14 stormwater management facilities.
1.3.5 Airport Layout
The development of the Airport
has been governed by the orientation of Toronto Pearson’s existing
two sets of parallel runways. The
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15-33 runways (running north/
south), along with the associated
taxiways, provide the boundary for
the Airport East and Airport
Infield areas. The 06-24 runways
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and Runway 05-23 (east/west orientation) set the boundary for the
Airport North and Airport South
areas. Existing developments in
these four major areas (Airport
East, Airport Infield, Airport
North and Airport South) along
with the Airport Airside and some
additional smaller parcels that
make up the airport lands are
described below.
1.12
Airport East
The Airport East area is an amalgamation of four development
areas identified in the 1999
Master Plan as Areas 5, 7, 11, and
12 and accounts for 259.2 ha
(640 acres).
Passenger Terminal Complex
(Area 11): Terminals 1 and 3 are
located in this 209.1 ha (517 acres)
area along with their associated
parking structures and the 500room Sheraton Gateway Hotel situated atop the Terminal 3 Parking
Garage. Also accommodated
within the Passenger Terminal
Complex area is the bulk of the
road network servicing the passenger terminals and the LINK Train
elevated guideway.
The Terminal 2 Parking Garage,
also located in Area 11, will
remain in use for employee parking
until a new parking structure is
constructed in Area 6B by the end
of 2009.
The Pearson International Fuel
Facilities Corporation operations
headquarters (PIFFC) occupies a
site located adjacent to the
Terminal 1 Satellite. This facility
accommodates administrative
offices, staff support functions,
and a vehicle maintenance and
parking area for fuel tankers and
fuel carts. The triturator facility,
which contains equipment for the
processing of aircraft sewage, is
located adjacent to the PIFFC
building.
Vista Cargo Area (Area 5): The
Vista Cargo Centre leases the
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majority of the 16.4 ha (41 acre)
site for cargo facilities. There is
also a flight kitchen located in this
area and Air Canada’s flight simulator building.
Airline Aircraft Maintenance Area
(Area 7): This 31.6 ha (78 acre)
area, located northwest of
Terminal 3, is leased for large aircraft maintenance operations. Air
Canada owns and operates five
hangar complexes in this area
complete with maintenance
support shops and offices.
Aviation Fuel Tank Farm
(Area 12): The Fuel Tank Farm,
maintained and operated by
Consolidated Aviation Fueling for
PIFFC, occupies a 2.1 ha (5 acre)
site located north of Terminal 1.
This facility holds the main airport
supplies of jet, automotive and
diesel fuels.
Airport Infield
The Airport Infield Area (Area 10)
is situated between the parallel
north/south runways and occupies
142.3 ha (352 acres). Nav Canada
Air Traffic Services facilities, consisting of the Control Tower and
the Area Control Centre, are
accommodated here as is the
Central Deicing Facility and the
Moore Creek Stormwater
Management Facility.
The balance of the site has recently
been developed as part of the
Airport Development Program.
The need for the development of
the Airport Infield area arose as a
result of the growth in cargo
demand and the displacement of
the previous air cargo area and
other airport support facilities by
the development of new terminal
and airside facilities.
New infield facilities include a
multi-tenant air cargo complex
consisting of three cargo buildings,
the GTAA Three Bay Hangar for
aircraft maintenance, the
Skyservice Avitat maintenance
hangar, the Skyservice Lounge
serving their business aviation
operations, the Cara Flight
Kitchen and the Infield Terminal.
Also located in the Infield are
several airline support facilities,
navigational aids and the entrance to the four-lane Infield
Tunnel that provides vehicular
access between the Infield area
and the passenger terminal area.
Airport South
This 55.3 ha (136 acre) development area is located south of
Runway 06R-24L and includes
Areas 2A and 2B.
Area 2A at 45.7 ha (113 acres),
the larger of the two parcels,
facilitates a number of support
facilities including several GTAA
administrative and maintenance
facilities that were relocated to this
area due to the redevelopment of
their former sites. Facilities located
in Area 2A include the GTAA
Infield Three Bay Hangar and FBO Facility
1.13
Terminal 3 Interior
corporate administrative offices,
Pass/Permit Control Office,
Airfield Maintenance Building,
South Fire Hall, Airside and Interterminal Bussing Facility, and the
Central Workshop and Stores,
which also provides space for the
Airport Emergency Support
Centre and Canine Unit.
Other facilities in the area include
one flight kitchen operated by
CLS, the Air Canada flight simulator building, Servisair’s ground
handling equipment maintenance
and storage facility, the Air Canada
Ground Services Equipment
building and Annex, the Transport
Canada/Peel Regional Police
Building (Airport Division), a
concrete recycling plant and the
Environment Canada meteorological compound.
Area 2B at 9.6 ha (24 acres),
located to the east of Area 2A, is
leased as a car rental complex.
Airport North
Located north of Runway 05-23,
the Airport North area refers to
Area 8 (the Business Aviation
Area), Area 14 (the FedEx site),
Area 15 (the Boeing lands), Area
16 (the Skeet lands) and two
parcels located north of Derry
Road known as Areas 13A
and 13B.
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
The 36.3 ha (90 acre) Business
Aviation Area houses 11 hangars
and two fuelling facilities, and is
home to various commercial aircraft operators that service a variety
of aviation segments including
special purpose passenger service
such as executive, air ambulance,
tour operations and aircraft parts
and maintenance. Also situated in
Area 8 are the North Fire Hall and
Wildlife Control Centre.
Both Areas 13A (24.1 ha/60 acres)
and 13B (38.8 ha/96 acres) have
commercial/industrial development potential. Area 13B is home
to the CAE Flight Training
Centre. The remaining available
developable area is vacant and the
balance of the site is comprised of
creek valley lands. Area 13A has
significant building height restrictions over the property as it is on
the approach to Runway 15L and
therefore offers limited development potential.
Area 14 (24.4 ha/60 acres) is home
to the FedEx courier facilities.
Area 15A (16.1 ha/40 acres) refers
to the first phase of the former
Boeing lands that were transferred
to the GTAA in May 2006. The
ownership of the Boeing lands is
being turned over to the GTAA in
phases. These lands offer access to
the airside system and significant
available development heights.
Future uses could include aircraft
maintenance or cargo facilities.
Area 16 (12.3 ha/30 acres) comprises the former Skeet Club
lands, which were transferred to
the GTAA in February 2007.
There are building height restrictions over the property imposed
by the adjacent runways. Potential
uses on the site could include
additional cargo or airline
support facilities.
Airport East Access
This area is comprised of five
parcels (Areas 6A, 6B, 6C, 6F, and
6Z) totalling 68 ha (168 acres).
Parcel A (10.7 ha/26.4 acres)
accommodates the Airport LINK
Train Viscount Road Station and
the remote Reduced Rate Parking
Lot. Parcel B (16.8 ha/42 acres) is
being utilized for employee parking. Both of these parcels are
located north of Airport Road and
west of the former Hwy 409 lands.
Parcel C (8.3 ha/21 acres) accommodates the GTAA’s Cogeneration
and Central Utilities Plants and
the City of Mississauga Fire Hall.
Area 6F (3.2 ha/8 acres) consists
of the lands located on Dorman
Road that were acquired by the
GTAA in December 2000 to
accommodate the development of
the Hwy 409 inbound roads that
serve the passenger terminal complex. Area 6Z (29 ha/72 acres)
refers to the portion of the former
Hwy 409 lands recently acquired
by the GTAA from the Province
of Ontario that also accommodate
the access roads to the passenger
terminal complex.
Airport Airside
This area (Area 13), comprising
the largest bulk of airport property
(1,168 ha/2,886 acres), accommodates runways and taxiways, navigational aids, airside roads and the
1.14
Central Deicing Facility and forms
the operationally protected areas
around these facilities, as dictated
by the Airport Zoning Regulations. This area has extremely
limited development potential
beyond the current functions
accommodated due to the extensive restrictions associated with the
Airport Zoning Regulations.
Other lands within Area 13 are in
the flood plain of the creek valleys
and thus have no development
potential.
Also located within the Airport
Airside area is the newly constructed GTAA Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute
(FESTI). This state-of-the-art
facility was created to train GTAA
Emergency Services and first
responders from around the world
and includes a confined space
training building, a burn building,
a rescue tower, as well as a training
field and classroom facilities.
Other Airport Lands
In this category are included several parcels of land surrounding
the Airport, some of which have
development potential. They are
identified in Figure 1-4.
The largest of these parcels
(11.3 ha/28 acres), known as 13E,
is prime commercial/industrial
land, currently vacant, located at
the intersection of Hwy 401 and
Dixie Road.
Parcel 6E (5.6 ha/13.8 acres) is
located south of Airport Road at
Carlingview Drive and accommodates a stormwater management
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
facility and a parking facility on a
lease basis.
1 .4 GREATER TO RONTO
AIRPORTS AUTHORIT Y
1.4.1 Corporate Profile
In July 1994, the Government of
Canada announced its National
Airports Policy whereby the
management, operation and maintenance of 26 airports within the
National Airport System would be
transferred to locally controlled
Canadian Airport Authorities.
Toronto Pearson was identified as
one of Canada’s core airports that
made up the National Airports
System and would be managed by
an airport authority.
The Greater Toronto Airports
Authority (GTAA) was incorporated in 1993 as a non-share
corporation under Part II of the
Canada Corporations Act and was
recognized as a Canadian Airport
Authority by the federal government in 1994. Although it was
incorporated in 1993, the GTAA
did not carry on a commercial
business prior to its acquisition of
Toronto Pearson on December 2,
1996, pursuant to a 60-year
ground lease with the Government of Canada.
The GTAA is an airport management and facility development
company and was originally
created to operate and develop
Toronto-Lester B. Pearson International Airport within a regional
system of airports in the Greater
Toronto Area. Specifically, the
GTAA operates Toronto Pearson
as a public facility for the benefit
of its customers (the travelling
public and cargo shippers) its partners (airlines, government agencies, Canadian Air Transport
Security Authority, retailers) and
other stakeholders (federal, provincial, municipal and regional governments). Entirely self-funding,
the GTAA is a not-for-profit corporation that reinvests any operating surpluses to expand and
develop the Airport.
The GTAA is governed by a
15-member Board of Directors
comprised of five appointees from
the regional municipalities of
Durham, Halton, Peel and York
and the City of Toronto; two
appointees from the Government
of Canada; one appointee from
the Province of Ontario; four
appointees from a pool of nominators comprised of the following
organizations: Law Society of
Upper Canada, Association of
Professional Engineers of Ontario,
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Toronto Board
of Trade, boards of trade and
chambers of commerce in
Durham, Halton, Peel, and York;
and three members appointed by
the Board. This governance
GTAA Administration Building
1.15
Development Program. Through
unwavering commitment to this
Plan, Toronto Pearson is now well
positioned with modern airport
facilities that will allow the Airport
to compete on the world stage.
Vision Statement
To be a leading airport company
championing sustainable global
access for the Greater Toronto
Area.
1.4.3 Corporate Strategic Plan
With the completion of the
Airport Development Program,
the GTAA has recognized the need
to adjust strategic priorities and
resources. Whereas for the last
10 years the GTAA has been
“designing” and “building”
Toronto Pearson, corporate strategy
and resources are now focused on
improving the “competitiveness”
of the Airport. Materially, Toronto
Pearson’s competitive position will
be achieved through its ability to
leverage the existing airport infrastructure through maximizing and
optimizing airport capacity,
improving productivity of facilities
and services, and increasing the
value that customers and stakeholders place on Toronto Pearson’s
facilities and services.
During its first 10 years, the
GTAA corporate strategy has been
focused on airport facility development and construction. The
opening of Terminal 1’s Pier F on
January 30, 2007 was a significant
milestone marking the completion
of the Airport Development
Program. The 1999 Master Plan
provided the vision, framework,
and direction for the Airport
Master Plan Linkage with
Corporate Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan establishes
GTAA’s vision for Toronto
Pearson to be a leading airport
company championing sustainable
global access for the Greater
Toronto Area. Now that the
Airport has been redeveloped into
a world-class facility, the GTAA’s
strategic focus is centred on
View from LINK Train
structure ensures a wide range of
business, community and social
interests are represented and that
the Board has, as a whole, the
necessary skill set to oversee the
management of the GTAA. Board
members are appointed for a
three-year term and are eligible to
be reappointed to a maximum
limit of nine years.
1.4.2 Ground Lease
On December 2, 1996, pursuant
to a Ground Lease between the
GTAA and the federal government, the GTAA assumed the
operation, management and control of Toronto Pearson International Airport for a term of 60
years with on option to extend the
term for an additional 20 years.
The lands and facilities leased pursuant to the Ground Lease
includes all airport lands, buildings, structures and certain roads
and bridges providing access to
the Airport, but excludes any
assets owned by Nav Canada, the
operator of Canada’s civil air navigation system and any assets
owned by tenants.
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
The Ground Lease governs the
commercial relationship between
the GTAA and Transport Canada
for the term of the lease. It determines the rent to be paid and
generally allocates risk and responsibilities between the GTAA and
the federal government for all
matters related to the operation of
the Airport. By virtue of its status
as a tenant under the Ground
Lease, the GTAA has the authority
to set and collect airline rates and
charges from airlines; negotiate
and issue leases, licenses, and permits; and construct and develop
the infrastructure of the Airport.
1.16
well prepared to accommodate
future demand. This development
has been guided by the GTAA’s
first Master Plan adopted in 1999.
Runway 05 Threshold
improving the competitiveness of
Toronto Pearson as a gateway to
Ontario, Canada and the world.
By improving competitiveness,
Toronto Pearson will support and
enhance the economic development of the GTA, southern
Ontario and Canada.
While the Strategic Plan establishes the vision, values and strategic direction for Toronto Pearson,
the Master Plan looks forward
20 years to ensure the best and
optimal use of Toronto Pearson’s
most fundamental resources – its
land and its newly developed and
expanded infrastructure.
1.4.4 The GTAA’s First Decade
During the first decade of its
stewardship of Toronto Pearson, the
GTAA has managed the Airport
through rapid growth in traffic
that saw a 28 per cent increase in
passenger demand and a 12 per
cent increase in aircraft movements from 1996 to 2006. The
GTAA has also been responsible
for the most extensive development project ever undertaken at
Toronto Pearson, development
that was essential to meet the
demands of this growth and to
ensure that the Airport would be
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
When the GTAA assumed the
management, operation, and control of Toronto Pearson on
December 2, 1996, it took on
major challenges as much of the
Airport’s infrastructure was outdated and in poor condition. At
the time of transfer, major site
problems existed, such as inadequate road systems, insufficient
apron areas, and facilities that were
in dire need of refurbishment,
expansion or replacement at the
time of transfer. The existing passenger terminals and runway system had a practical annual capacity
of approximately 28 million passengers and in 1996 were already
experiencing an actual demand
level of over 24 million passengers.
Both terminal and groundside
capacity was limited and in many
cases operating beyond reasonable
capacity. In terms of serving the
future aviation demands of the
region, the Airport was not
adequately equipped.
It was clear to the GTAA that the
Airport was in need of immediate
improvement and a long-term
strategy to properly serve the
growing travel needs of the GTA
and south-central Ontario. The
GTAA replaced the short-term
incremental planning practices of
the past with a long-term vision
that would meet the future headon. To meet the projected demand
for air travel through Toronto
Pearson, the GTAA developed a
$4.4 billion comprehensive
Airport Development Program
(ADP) for the improvement of the
Airport’s infrastructure, discussed
in greater detail in Chapter 4.
The construction component of
the ADP is now complete, a
remarkable logistical feat considering that the Airport remained fully
open and accessible throughout
construction. Facilities have been
designed to enable future expansion when demand warrants further investment. With the recent
completion of the redevelopment
of Toronto Pearson, the GTAA has
created the right platform to support the region’s future growth and
economic development.
Other significant accomplishments
that the GTAA has achieved in its
first decade include the purchase
of Terminal 3 from the Airport
Development Corporation, enabling the GTAA to consolidate
the management of all of the
Airport’s passenger terminals; the
acquisition of 1.5 km (0.93 miles)
of Hwy 409 from the Ontario
Ministry of Transportation to
rationalize the Airport’s roadway
system; the purchase of the former
1.17
operation of Canada’s largest and
busiest airport.
1.4.5 Summary
The federal government created
the National Airports Policy to
permit airports to be more responsive to local interests and needs, to
support local economic development, to promote Canada’s competitiveness, and to shift the cost
of developing and operating airports from the taxpayers to those
who use the facilities.
Terminal 1 (left) and Terminal 1 Parking Garage (right)
Terminal 3 and Sheraton Gateway Hotel
Skeet Club lands adjacent to the
Airport lands; negotiation of an
agreement to purchase the Boeing
lands consisting of more than
45 ha (111 acres) adjoining airport property; completion of the
largest bond issue in Canadian
corporate history for airport
expansion and redevelopment;
completion of one of the largest
infrastructure projects in Canadian
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
history on time and on budget;
and achievement of ISO 14001
environmental standards certification making Toronto Pearson the
first North American airport
awarded this certification.
Figure 1-5 illustrates the development projects and land acquisitions
that the GTAA has implemented
since 1996 after taking over the
management, control and
The GTAA has delivered on this
policy. The outdated inefficient
facilities at Toronto Pearson have
been replaced by modern and
upgraded infrastructure. Specific
local needs of the community have
guided the GTAA’s objectives and
there is now a long-term vision for
the Airport that will be presented
in this Master Plan. With the airport redevelopment complete, the
GTAA has positioned Toronto
Pearson as a world-class facility
that supports tourism, business
and economic growth for the
region and the province.
1.18
1.19
FIGURE 1-2
The 1930s
YEAR
February 1935
July 1937
August 1937
August 1938
August 1938
January 1939
January 1939
February 1939
February 1939
The 1940s
YEAR
1940
January 1942
April 1946
May 1948
January 1949
The 1950s
YEAR
January 1954
June 1955
1957
1957
November 1958
December 1958
The 1960s
YEAR
October 1960
November 1960
1962
1962
1964
February 1964
July 1968
1968
1969
1969
October 1969
HISTORICAL PROFILE OF TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
MILESTONE
The federal government promises to build an airport in Toronto “the finest in all Canada”.
Toronto City Council votes to proceed with the immediate construction of airports at both Toronto Island and Malton.
The federal government acquires nine farm properties in Malton for airport development.
The City of Toronto opens Toronto Municipal Airport in Malton (informally known as Malton Airport).
The first official landing at Toronto Municipal Airport.
The City transfers responsibility for Toronto Municipal Airport to the Toronto Harbour Commission.
The Airport receives official licence to operate as an aerodrome facility.
The Toronto Harbour Commission immediately transfers the Airport to the Department of Transport under a lease
agreement until December 1940.
The Department of Transport contracts Trans Canada Airlines to operate the Airport until 1940.
MILESTONE
The federal government leases Toronto Municipal Airport from the City of Toronto for the duration of the Second World
War to use primarily for military training.
Malton’s Air Traffic Control Centre starts operations.
The federal government agrees to operate Toronto Municipal Airport for the next 10 years, leasing the property from
the City.
The federal government installs an Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Toronto Municipal Airport.
A new terminal building opens providing additional capacity for 400,000 passengers per year.
MILESTONE
The federal government announces long-range plans to extend Malton’s runways and spends $5 million to expropriate
property to make Toronto Municipal an international airport.
U.S. Customs begins pre-clearance at Malton.
By 1957, Toronto Municipal Airport takes over from Montreal’s Dorval Airport as Canada’s main international airport.
The introduction of jet-powered aircraft in the late 1950s leads to the need to increase runway lengths beyond the
current 1800 m (6000 ft) and the first long runway (15-33) is completed.
The City of Toronto sells the Airport to the Department of Transport and the Airport becomes federal government property.
Construction begins on the first of 4 planned aeroquay passenger terminals (Old Terminal 1).
MILESTONE
Toronto Municipal Airport is officially renamed Malton International Airport in recognition of trans-oceanic service.
Malton International Airport is renamed Toronto International Airport (Malton).
Toronto International becomes the busiest airport in Canada surpassing Montreal.
The new east-west parallel runway (06L-24R) is completed and Runways 15-33 and 06R-24L are extended to 3,400 m and
2,900 m respectively.
The federal government opens the Air Cargo Centre north of Terminal 1.
The first aeroquay terminal (Terminal 1) is opened by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Terminal 1, with 23 gates, was
built to handle 3.5 million passengers annually.
The federal government announces it will not build a second aeroquay terminal, opting instead to build an interim
terminal capable of handling new wide-body jets.
Plans for a new airport in Pickering are introduced and proceed until 1975 at which time the Pickering project is halted
by the Ontario government.
Construction of Stage 1 of Terminal 2 commences.
Runway 06L-24R is extended to 3,200 m to accommodate jumbo jets.
Ontario introduces a 51,500-acre noise zone around the Airport and will allow no residential development within it, only
soundproofed hotels.
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
1.20
FIGURE 1-2
The 1970s
YEAR
June 1972
March 1972
April 1973
1973
1974
1977
The 1980s
YEAR
1981
1984
1988
July 1989
August 1989
The 1990s
YEAR
1991
1991
February 1993
March 1993
July 1994
November 1994
December 1994
1995
2 December 1996
April 1997
1997
November 1997
1998
July 1998
July 1998
HISTORICAL PROFILE OF TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CONT’D)
MILESTONE
Terminal 2 opens with the capacity to serve 6 million passengers. Originally designed to be a cargo facility, its role soon
changed as passenger traffic continued to grow.
The federal government purchases 7,527 hectares of land within Pickering, Markham and Uxbridge for the purpose of
building a second international airport for the Toronto area.
Stage 2 of Terminal 2 is completed and Air Canada moves its entire operation into Terminal 2.
A Category II ILS is installed allowing aircraft to arrive and depart in most weather conditions.
A new international pact with the U.S. establishes customs and immigration pre-clearance procedures.
Terminal 2 international expansions increase its capacity to 9 million passengers per year.
MILESTONE
Terminal 1 international expansion increases its capacity to 6.5 million passengers per year.
Toronto International Airport is officially renamed Lester B. Pearson International Airport.
Construction of Terminal 3 by a private consortium commences.
The federal government announces Toronto Pearson is to be developed to its optimum capacity. The federal government
begins the environmental assessment of the Toronto Pearson site.
The Minister of Transport announces “Pearson will continue as the major airport for Southern Ontario and will be
developed to its optimum capacity in terms of social, economic and transportation considerations.”
MILESTONE
Terminal 3 – Canada’s first air terminal facility developed, owned and operated by the private sector, opens with 24 gates
capable of handling 10 million passengers per year.
The federal government commences public hearings on the findings of the Environmental Assessment of the expansion of
Toronto Pearson.
After three years of detailed environmental studies (from 1989-1991) regarding future airside development, followed by
four months of public hearings in 1991 and 1992, the Minister of Transport announces that three additional runways are
to be constructed at Toronto Pearson to meet air traffic demand in southern Ontario until approximately 2010.
The Greater Toronto Regional Airports Authority (GTRAA) is established as a community initiative led by the regional
municipalities of Durham, Halton, Metropolitan Toronto, Peel, and area boards of trade and chambers of commerce.
The Minister of Transport announces a new National Airports Policy. Toronto Pearson is defined as one of Canada’s core
airports that will form the National Airports System and will be managed by an airport authority.
The GTRAA is reconstituted with a new name: the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). The GTAA is officially
recognized by Transport Canada as the operating authority for Toronto Pearson.
The GTAA signs a letter of intent to initiate formal negotiations with Transport Canada for the transfer of Toronto Pearson.
The GTAA unveils a concept to replace Terminals 1 and 2 with a single unified terminal capable of accommodating
50 million passengers per year.
The GTAA signs the Ground Lease with the federal government and assumes the operation, management and control of
Toronto Pearson.
The GTAA purchases Terminal 3 from the Airport Development Corporation, the consortium that built, operated and
maintained it under contract with Transport Canada, thereby consolidating the management of all three terminals.
The GTAA completes the largest bond issue in Canadian corporate history for airport expansion and redevelopment.
Runway 15R-33L, Toronto Pearson’s fourth runway, begins operations.
The first phase of the new Central Deicing Facility opens.
The location of the Toronto Pearson Airport Operating Area in the Region of Peel (for Mississauga and Brampton) was
determined by an Ontario Municipal Board ruling.
New North Fire Hall and fire training facility open.
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N
1.21
FIGURE 1-2
HISTORICAL PROFILE OF TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CONT’D)
The 1990s (cont’d)
YEAR
MILESTONE
1998
Toronto Pearson’s Airport Development Program, the GTAA’s $4.4 billion plan for the redevelopment of the Airport, is
launched and groundbreaking ceremonies signal the official start of construction of the new passenger terminal.
July 1999
New South Fire Hall opens.
1999
Two additional Central Deicing Facility pads are constructed.
1999
The GTAA receives ISO 14001 environmental standards certification, making it the first North American airport to be
awarded this certification.
1999
The new Air Traffic Control tower is commissioned measuring 34.5 metres higher than the previous tower.
The 2000s
YEAR
MILESTONE
2000
The GTAA purchases 1.5 km of Hwy 409, west of Hwy 427, from the Ontario Ministry of Transport to rationalize the
Airport’s roadway system.
2000
The GTAA facilitates the move of 40 airlines between terminals due to industry consolidations and in preparation for the
opening of the new terminal.
2000
The old Air Traffic Control tower, commissioned in 1963, is demolished to make room for expanded infield facilities.
2000
The Infield Tunnel opens providing a link between the infield and the terminal buildings.
2001
Cargo operations are moved to the new infield facilities.
July 2001
The GTAA enters into an agreement to purchase the Boeing lands comprising more than 45 ha adjoining airport property.
August 2001
The Ontario Municipal Board ruled on the Toronto Pearson Airport Operating Area location within the City of Toronto.
2002
Runway 06R-24L, Toronto Pearson’s fifth runway, and the dual taxiway in the terminal area become operational.
April 2004
The first phase of New Terminal 1 opens comprised of piers D and E offering 14 bridged aircraft gates and nine commuter
positions.
November 2004
Old Terminal 1 is demolished.
October 2005
Ten additional bridged gates become operational in New Terminal 1.
July 2006
The Automated People Mover Train, named the LINK Train, begins operations connecting Terminals 1 and 3 and the GTAA
Reduced Rate Parking Lot on Airport Road.
January 2007
The second phase of New Terminal 1 becomes operational with the opening of Pier F, the international pier, consisting of
an additional 25 bridged gates.
Chapter 1 > I N T R O D U C T I O N