Toronto’s downtown island airport will get pre-clearance for flights to the United States, allowing travellers to essentially cross the border before boarding.
Beginning Tuesday, a pre-clearance facility will open at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to allow people heading to the U.S. to complete their customs process before they take off.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement that the new pre-clearance facility “will make cross-border travel easier for passengers while enhancing border security and improving efficiency.”
Billy Bishop hosts flights from Air Canada and Porter Airlines, which serve cities such as New York, Washington, and Boston. They also fly to East Coast Canadian and Ontario cities.
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Pre-clearance will operate similarly to the option for U.S. flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport, where passengers can proceed to connecting flights or their destination as soon as they land.
The island airport has shot up the news agenda recently, after Ontario Premier Doug Ford began musing about expanding it to be used by larger jets.
“I got to tell you one thing, we got to extend that runway. We have to bring jets in, smaller jets, whatever, until people can hop on there,” he said at an event in February.
The island airport doesn’t fall directly under the premier’s jurisdiction and is governed by a tripartite deal between the City of Toronto, Toronto Port Authority and the federal government. It was recently extended from 2033 to 2045.
The lease was extended at the end of 2024 by city council in a 17-8 vote following a motion from Mayor Olivia Chow. She put forward the proposal despite a staff report that advised against drawing out the agreement before more public consultation.
“It’s a gold mine, having an airport downtown. That’s what the polls are saying. That’s what the people are saying,” Ford said.
“They want another option to get this done. So, with the mayor’s support, we’re going to put out some proposals to get things moving.”
— With files from Global News’ Colin D’Mello and The Canadian Press
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