PortsToronto Releases Draft of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport RESA Environmental Assessment

Release of draft Environmental Assessment commences 30-day public comment period which will close July 7, 2025

Toronto (June 3, 2025) – On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, PortsToronto and AECOM released the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Runway End Safety Area (RESA) draft Environmental Assessment and commenced a 30-day public comment period.

Please visit the project website – safecleanquiet.ca – to review the draft environmental assessment and submit comments regarding the content of the study and the recommendations made.

Members of the public can make their comment submissions until July 7, 2025. At this point all comments will be reviewed and considered prior to finalizing the Environmental Assessment and confirming the RESA design option that will be implemented in advance of the July 2027 deadline stipulated by Transport Canada.

Background:

Transport Canada requires Canadian airports that service 325,000 passengers for two consecutive years to implement Runway End Safety Area (RESA) within three years. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport met this threshold in June 2024. This triggered the RESA requirement which will need to be met by 2027.

RESA is a cleared and graded area of land located immediately beyond the end of the runway. RESAs are located at both ends of runways and are designated areas of open space designed to be used in cases where aircraft overrun the end of a runway or undershoot and land prior to the runway.

As a Federal business enterprise accountable to Transport Canada, PortsToronto is undertaking this project to comply with the new Canadian Aviation Regulation requirements in response to Transport Canada’s safety standards for RESAs. The Environmental Assessment for RESA commenced in 2024. More information can be found on the project website at safecleanquiet.ca.

– 30 –