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Toronto/City Centre Airport
IATA: YTZ – ICAO: CYTZ
Summary
Airport type		Public
Coordinates		43°37′39″N 079°23′46″W / 43.6275, -79.39611Coordinates: 43°37′39″N 079°23′46″W / 43.6275, -79.39611
Website		www.torontoport.com
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
06/24	2,880	878	Asphalt
08/26	4,000	1,219	Asphalt
15/33	2,780	847	Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft Movements			77,581
Statistics from Transport Canada.[1] Source: Canada Flight Supplement[2]

Toronto/City Centre Airport, (TCCA) (IATA: YTZ, ICAO: CYTZ), in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a small airport located on the Toronto Islands. It was opened in 1939 for aviation. During World War II it was used for air force training by the Norwegian and Canadian Air Forces. Since the war, it has been used for civil aviation, including scheduled airlines. In recent years, the airport has become the center of controversy between the City of Toronto and community groups wishing to close it down and the airport operating authority and businesses wishing to expand its usage.

Contents 1 Operations 2 Mainland access 3 History 4 Controversies surrounding the Island Airport 4.1 Bridge 4.2 Air Canada Eviction 5 Airlines and destinations 6 Airport data 6.1 Lighting 6.2 Communications 6.3 Navigation 7 Tenants 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

The airport is operated by the Toronto Port Authority (formerly the Toronto Harbour Commission), which is owned jointly by the City of Toronto and Federal governments. The TCCA is used for regional airline service and for general aviation, including medical emergency flights (due to its proximity to downtown hospitals), small charter flights, and private aviation. There is a seaplane base adjacent to the main airport. In 2005, the airport recorded about 120,000 flights, down from an historic high of 240,000 in the mid 1960s. About 80,000 passengers use the airport annually down from a peak of 400,000 in the 1980s when the City Express commuter airline was based at the airport.

In 2006, scheduled regional airline services changed from Air Canada to Porter Airlines. To support Porter's activities, renovations were done on the terminal buildings. The changes included upgraded lounges, new food services and electronic check-in terminals.

The airport is classifed as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle general aviation aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers.^[2]

The only public access to the airport is from the mainland via the ferry TCCA1, which transports vehicles and passengers from the foot of Bathurst Street every 15 minutes from 6:45 am to 10:07 pm. At 121 metres (397 ft), it is reputedly the world's shortest regularly-scheduled ferry route. The present boat was launched in October 2006, replacing an older ferry, Maple City, which dated from 1964.

The 509 Harbourfront streetcar route serves the intersection of Bathurst Street and Queens Quay, one block north of the ferry dock. A small parking lot is also provided adjacent to the dock.

Opened in 1939 as the Port George VI Airfield, it became generally known as the Island Airport. At opening it was intended to be Toronto's principal airport; a secondary airport was built in Malton (now part of Mississauga) for use in case of inclement weather. However, these roles quickly became reversed, and the Malton Airport became the main airport, a role in which it continues today as Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The original 1939 wooden frame terminal building is still present and used although not as a commercial passenger terminal. It is a designated historical site. The only major change to the structure was a change to sloping glass in the control tower to facilitate night operations.

The airport was intended to be connected via tunnel and construction of a tunnel was started in 1935 but was abandoned. Ferry service was inaugurated instead and has operated ever since, across the narrow "Western Gap" channel.

During World War II, the airport was used by the Norwegian Air Force for training. In 1943, the airport was turned over to the Royal Canadian Air Force for the duration of the war. The nearby 'Little Norway Park' is named in remembrance of the Norwegian community around the airport.

In 1983, the City of Toronto, the Toronto Harbour Commission, and the Government of Canada signed a Tripartite Agreement over operation of the Airport. The agreement made provisions for a restricted list of aircraft allowed to use the airport due to noise levels, prohibitions on jet traffic except for MEDEVAC flights and prohibition against the construction of a fixed link between Toronto Island and the mainland. Air Canada started operating regional airline service to Ottawa and Montreal.

In 1994, the name was officially changed to Toronto City Centre Airport, but most still call it the "Island Airport."

Since the late 1990s there has been public debate over the future of the airport, which has required financial assistance from the federal government.

The Toronto Port Authority has called for either expansion of the airport to accommodate up to 900,000 passengers annually, or its closure. Their expansion plans call for the increased use of turboprop planes and the construction of a new terminal building, but not the enlargement of airport runways or property.

Concerned about the possible introduction of regional jets to serve destinations such as New York City, Chicago, Detroit and Washington DC, local residents formed the community group Community AIR (Airport Impact Review) to oppose the expansion on the grounds of increased air and noise pollution, as well as safety concerns, and that the increase in traffic will hamper recent government initiatives to rejuvenate the Toronto waterfront.

To date no serious proposal for regional jets has been made. Legal changes to the tripartate agreement governing the airport would have to be made and runways would have to be extended to support regional jets. Proponents, mainly business groups such as the Board of Trade, point to expansion ot the Airport as a financial boost for the city's downtown.

The main airline proponent for increasing traffic at the TCCA was and is Porter Airlines, started by Robert Deluce. Deluce's proposal was initially conditional on the construction of a fixed link to the airport. In 2002, the Port Authority made plans to link the island to the mainland by a new bridge to serve expanded services. The Toronto City Council at the time, while Mel Lastman was Mayor of Toronto, approved the amendment of the tripartite agreement to permit a fixed link and approved the construction of a lift bridge. The next year, an election year, saw then-councilor David Miller run for Mayor on a platform to stop the building of the bridge, with the support of local community groups. Despite this uncertainty, the Port Authority continued developing the project, progressing to the point that contracts were signed with major participants (including companies operating from the airport).

In November 2003, Mr. Miller was elected Mayor of Toronto. Despite an official vote by the incoming city council that withdrew its support of the project, the Port Authority continued with the project to the point where contractors showed up at the foot of Bathurst St to proceed building the bridge. However, Council did not back down. Without the approval of the city, construction could not proceed and the bridge has not been built. The federal government withdrew its authorization for the Authority to build the bridge and compensated the Authority in May 2005 with a payment of $35 million, ending threatened legal proceedings against the City and the Authority. The money has been paid out by the Authority to settle claims against the Authority, including those of Robert Deluce.

Despite the lack of the bridge, Porter Airlines placed an order for ten Bombardier Q400s, announced on February 1, 2006^[3] and began scheduled operations in September 2006.

As of 2007 Miller, City Council, and Community AIR continue to oppose the expansion of the airport and the building of a bridge. To quote Miller, "A busy commercial airport doesn't have a place (downtown). Industrial use doesn't have a use in a viable waterfront."^[4]

A further controversy erupted in 2006, when Air Canada was evicted from the airport and ended its Jazz regional service to the airport on March 1. Air Canada sought to restore services, but the Port Authority refused to approve a lease to use the facilities.^[5] The facilities are used instead by Porter Airlines.

• Cloud Air
• Porter Airlines (Halifax, Montreal, Mont Tremblant, Newark [early 2008], Ottawa)
• Trans Capital Air (Stolport Corporation)
• Continental Airlines
  • Continental Connection (Newark) [early 2008]
• Cameron Air Service, operating four amphibious float planes, two Cessna caravans, and two Cessna 206s for executive charter services, in both the U.S and Canada.

• Runway 08 - AS(TE HI) P1: Runway Identification Lights, High intensity runway, threshold, & end lights, variable 5 settings, PAPI for aircraft with eye-to-wheel height up to 3 metres (10 ft).
• Runway 26 - AZ(TE HI) AP: Visual Alignment Guidance system and Runway Identification Lights, High intensity runway edge lights, variable 5 dettings. APAPI for aircraft with eye-to-wheel height up to 3 metres (10 ft).
• Runway 15 - AP: APAPI for aircraft with eye-to-wheel height up to 3 metres (10 ft).

• ATIS 133.6, Automatic Terminal Information Service
• Ground 121.7, 06:45 to 22:45 hrs. local, daily
• Tower City 118.2, 119.2, 226.5, 06:45 to 22:45 hrs. local
• Emergency Frequency 121.5.
• ATF Aerodrome Traffic Frequency, traffic 118.2, 22:45 to 06:45 hrs local, daily, within Control Zone TO BELOW 2500 ASL
• Arrival Toronto 133.4, 358.1
• Departure Toronto 133.4, 363.8
• VDF 118.2, 119.2, 121.7 limited hours, VHF Direction Finder.
• Emergency Frequency 121.5

• VOT 110.4, VOR receiver test facility
• NDB GIBRALTAR POINT TZ 257 (NDB power output less than 50 watts)
• DME ITZ 110.15 Ch38(Y) N43 37 38 W79 23 58 (antenna elevation 90 m (296 ft) ASL) at aerodrome XTC Localizer, ITZ DME unmonitored when tower closed
• ILS ITZ 110.15 Ch 38(Y), RVR
• LOC XTC 110.15

• CHC Helicopter
• Porter Airlines
• Island Air Flight School & Charters
• (Others listed at the Toronto Port Authority web site)

• List of airports in the Greater Toronto Area
• Community Air - Non-profit neighbourhood association devoted to closing the airport
• Toronto Port Authority
• Toronto waterfront

Fire fighting and EMS is provided by Toronto Fire Services and Toronto EMS.

• Toronto City Centre Airport Homepage
• Toronto Port Authority
• Community AIR
• Friends of Toronto's Island Airport
• Toronto Island Airport Flight School
• Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for Toronto City Centre Airport from NAV CANADA as available.

v • d • e Airports in Ontario with Scheduled Flights
Major	Toronto Pearson International Airport · Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport · Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport
Minor	Region of Waterloo International Airport · London International Airport · Windsor Airport · Thunder Bay International Airport · Sault Ste. Marie Airport · Sarnia (Chris Hadfield) Airport · Sudbury Airport · North Bay/Jack Garland Airport · Kingston/Norman Rogers Airport · Timmins Airport · Toronto City Centre Airport

v • d • e Canadian Airports
By name	A-B • C-D • E-G • H-K • L-M • N-Q • R-S • T-Z
By location indicator	CA • CB • CC • CD • CE • CF • CG • CH • CI • CJ • CK • CL • CM • CN • CO • CP • CR • CS • CT • CV • CW • CY • CZ
By province/territory	BC • AB • SK • MB • ON • QC • NB • NS • PEI • NL • YU • NT • NU
National Airports System	Calgary • Charlottetown • Edmonton • Fredericton • Gander • Halifax • Iqaluit • Kelowna • London • Moncton • Montréal-Mirabel • Montréal-Trudeau • Ottawa • Prince George • Québec • Regina • Saint John • St. John's • Saskatoon • Thunder Bay • Toronto • Vancouver • Victoria • Whitehorse • Winnipeg • Yellowknife
See also: Canadian National Airports System • Abandoned airports in Canada • Heliports in Canada • Canadian International Airports • List of airports by ICAO code: C