After several months of consultation, PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, has approved plans submitted by Nieuport Aviation Infrastructure Partners (Nieuport), owner and operator of the airport’s passenger terminal, to undertake upgrades and enhancements to the terminal at the airport. Preliminary plans and renderings have also been presented to key government agencies and stakeholders and can be referenced here.
The plans include increasing the terminal’s footprint to accommodate the airport’s growth since 2010, when the terminal was built, and to further enhance its world-class passenger experience. Specific improvements include reconfiguring offices and administrative areas to accommodate passenger processing needs in anticipation of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance facility at the airport as previously announced by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Obama in March 2016. The enhancement project will also add more space in both passenger lounges, thereby enabling more seating and additional amenities such as retail, food and beverage services. Overall, the changes will add approximately 2,500 square metres to the terminal, with the majority of the increase being in the passenger lounges. Nieuport will also add an 11th gate to increase the terminal’s operational flexibility and efficiencies during peak travel periods and weather events.
“Billy Bishop Airport is an award-winning airport that has an international reputation for its convenience and customer experience,” said Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Airport. “The improvements that are being proposed will take shape in the coming months, and are geared at better accommodating the 2.5 million passengers that travel through the airport each year, as well as further enhancing the world-class experience that is currently offered to passengers by adding more seating, retail and food services, and ultimately preclearance into the U.S.”
PortsToronto has worked closely with Nieuport to review plans for construction to confirm that the work is undertaken in a phased manner to ensure that the terminal upgrade will be as seamless as possible for travellers and airport partners and will not disrupt the surrounding community.
The project will get underway later this month and is expected to be completed in 2018. Regular updates will be provided to travelers, the community and stakeholders throughout the duration of the project via social media, the PortsToronto website and the Billy app, though minimal impact is expected in terms of the passenger experience.
“We are pleased to be investing in the future of this essential transportation infrastructure for Toronto and the surrounding region,” said Pamela Griffith-Jones, CEO, Nieuport Aviation Infrastructure Partners. “These improvements to the terminal will further enhance the passenger experience with more spacious lounges and new services and amenities. During the construction, activities will be fully coordinated to ensure passengers continue to enjoy the same seamless, convenient, fast and comfortable experience they have come to expect at the airport.”
Nieuport has engaged PCL Contractors Canada Inc. as the construction contractor for the project along with Stantec Consulting Ltd. for project management services. Scott and Associates Architects Incorporated, the original architect of the terminal built in 2010, has also been engaged for architectural services.
