It’s such a blessing to have the Billy Bishop Airport so close to home. Sure, we’d love to make use of the beautiful new Union Pearson Express, but with the Island airport so close to come, why would we head all the way to Pearson?
The Billy Bishop Airport has seen some major upgrades over the past few years, which complements the expansion of popularity of Porter Airlines – the main airline that flies out of there. Did you know that it’s the ninth busiest airport in Canada? Right now they offer service from Toronto to 50 cities, including Montreal, New York, Aruba, and San Juan. A pretty great selection of spots if you ask us!
Approximately 2.4 million people travel through Billy Bishop per year, and the best news is they can now walk to and from the Island (rather than taking the ferry) because the pedestrian tunnel has finally opened. The $82.5 million project was something that Torontonians had been asking for for years, as it would eliminate the wait for the ferry on either end. Construction first started on the tunnel in 2012, where workers had to dig into the bedrock below the lake. The tunnel sits 30 metres below the water! Now that it’s complete, it only takes a maximum of six minutes to walk to and from the Island Airport.
Ports Toronto actually created this awesome timeline which outlines the construction process of the tunnel:
Upgrades to Billy Bishop Airport is just one of the many fantastic initiatives that are improving our waterfront. Next time you’re booking a vacation, check for flights out of the Island first!
Cover photo via JasonParis on Flickr