Toronto Island Airport (YTZ) Flights & Flight Status

Walkable. Bikeable. Fun. Not your typical airport words, but Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) isn’t your typical airport. Toronto’s downtown gateway is spread out between a mainland pavilion and a Toronto Island terminal. To get between the two, I alternate between hopping a 90-second ferry and taking a six-minute walk through a pedestrian tunnel beneath Lake Ontario.

Billy Bishop, aka the Island Airport, draws more than two million fiercely loyal passengers a year. Since it’s just minutes from curb to gate, I recommend coming early to admire the art collection and take the obligatory selfie with the CN Tower backdrop.

Airlines that service YTZ

YTZ hosts two airlines and about 110 flights a week. It’s the home base for Porter Airlines, which flies to more than 20 Canadian cities between Victoria and St. John’s and including Thunder Bay, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury in northern Ontario. Porter also has more than a dozen U.S. routes like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Washington, DC and San Francisco. Air Canada has a smaller presence, flying mainly to Montreal and Ottawa.

Getting between YTZ and downtown Toronto

You can’t beat the free shuttle that runs between YTZ and Union Station and connects to public and regional transit. The “bump and go” shuttle buses run every 15 minutes and transport more than 500,000 people each year. Pick up/drop off locations are in front of the mainland pavilion and across from Union Station on the west side of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Streetcars are another affordable option. For Union Station, walk from the mainland pavilion along Eireann Quay to Bathurst Street to the Bathurst and Queens Quay West stop. The 509 Harbourfront streetcar runs east to Union Station where you can connect to GO Transit, UP Express and VIA Rail. For Bathurst Station, walk along Eireann Quay and continue on Bathurst Street to Fleet Street for the northbound 511 Bathurst streetcar.

Options for cyclists

It’s a three-kilometre bike ride along Martin Goodman Trail between YTZ and the downtown core. Passengers can take bikes on the ferry or walk them through the tunnel. There are bike lockups. The island side even has a bicycle maintenance station with tools plus two bike hangers. If you have battery powered personal transportation such as E-bikes and E-Scooters, you must take the ferry since these aren’t allowed in elevators or the tunnel. There’s a Bike Share Toronto station at Bathurst Street and Queens Quay.

Ground transportation at YTZ

Passengers arriving by taxi get dropped off along the curb outside the mainland pavilion, while those being picked up should head to the nearby “taxi corral.” There’s no designated area for rideshare app services, but drop-offs for Lyft and Uber are along the curb outside the pavilion and pickups are along the arrivals curb next to Little Norway Park.

The ferry

The 90-second Marilyn Bell ferry trip travels 121 metres across the Western Gap and is one of the shortest ferry rides in the world. The electric powered ferry is free for passengers and runs daily from 5:15 a.m. to 12:07 a.m., with crossings every 15 minutes. If you drive to the island terminal, though, there’s a ferry fee for vehicles plus potential parking fees.

The pedestrian tunnel

The ferry is fast but since you may have to wait for it, most passengers opt for the six-minute walk through the 260-metre tunnel. Opened in 2015, the tunnel runs across the Western Gap channel of Lake Ontario. It was constructed within the bedrock 30 metres beneath the surface of the lake.

From just inside the mainland pavilion, six elevators whisk you down to the tunnel level with its four moving walkways. At the south end, you can choose to ascend the equivalent of 10 storeys to the check-in area using one of the longest escalator systems in Canada like I do, or take one of two elevators or a 153-step staircase.

Parking at YTZ

Parking is limited, but drivers should book their space in advance for a discount off drive-up rates. Mainland parking lot options include P1 (express), P2 (daily) and valet parking. Island options include the larger P3 (priority). Not far from the airport there’s a standard parking lot at Lakeshore and Bathurst.

Rental cars

Car rentals from Hertz, Enterprise and National are available. The Hertz rental counter is on the lower level of the terminal next to the baggage claim area. The Enterprise/National counter is in a kiosk at the Eireann Quay parking lot on the island.

Security at YTZ

YTZ is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Canadian Air Transport Security Authority security screening hours run from 6 a.m. until the last flight of the day has departed. Domestic screening is on one side of the check-in counters and transborder screening is on the other. There are priority security lanes for several types of travellers, including those with NEXUS or Visa Infinite Privilege cards.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) preclearance facility is slated to open in 2025. I love being able to clear customs in Toronto instead of upon landing at U.S. airports. For YTZ, this should open up at least 20 new markets to the U.S., allowing access to airports that don’t currently have US CBP.

Services and amenities

You won’t find currency exchanges or USD in the ATMs here. There are water filling stations so I bring my reusable water bottle instead of buying single-use plastics. MyPod parenting stations provide caregivers with a private space to rest, pump or feed. Pet relief areas — which are now mandatory in Canada — have artificial grass, fire hydrants and garbage disposals.

Where to eat and drink

Booster Juice is before security on the arrivals level. It’s across from Gateway where you can grab a Jamaican patty. After security, the domestic lounge is home to Balzac’s Coffee Roasters and OBISPO for things like tapas, flatbreads and healthy bowls. In the transborder lounge, Market@416’s menu features Ontario craft beers, pastries and more.

Lounges

The vibe is more restaurant than airport lounge at the Aspire/Air Canada Café, a lovely 133-seat space featuring quiet workspaces, private meeting rooms and premium food and beverage options. It’s a collaboration between Air Canada and Swissport’s Aspire brand. All domestic passengers are welcome through paid access or Priority Pass, DragonPass and American Express. Access is also open to Air Canada customers with 50K, 75K or Super Elite Status, business class ticket holders, Star Alliance Gold members and Aeroplan premium co-brand cardholders.

Where to shop

The pre-security Gateway sells snacks, travel essentials and even lottery tickets. After security on the transborder side of things there’s a duty-free shop. In both transborder and domestic lounges, Hudson Travel Essentials sells magazines, books, snacks, gifts and souvenirs.

Admiring the art

All the art at YTZ is before security so here are my highlights. In the mainland pavilion, William `Billy’ Bishop and William Barker – The First Meeting by George Batholomew Boileau features life-size bronzes that represent the historic first meeting between the airport’s namesake — William “Billy” Bishop — and a fellow First World War flying ace and Victoria Cross recipient. The men launched one of North America’s first aviation charters and helped establish this airport (originally as Port George VI Airport) in 1939.

I’m partial to Maanjidowin: The Gathering by David M. General on the dock wall overlooking the Western Gap. The granite and bronze sculpture of three mythical fishers (a bear, otter and eagle) in a canoe recognizes the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and their relationship to the land, air and water on which YTZ now operates.

Project T-Dot by photographer Ajani Charles celebrates Toronto’s diverse hip-hop culture and community with 60-large scale photographic panels. A quilt art piece made by students from the nearby Waterfront School was inspired by the International Decade for People of African Descent. Bloody Boats by Akshata Naik is an art installation about deconstructing and dismantling the symbol of the traumatic journey that immigrants experience.

Things to do during a layover at YTZ

Sure, the CN Tower, Eaton Centre and Ripley’s Aquarium are nearby. But as a born-and-raised Torontonian I always send people to Kensington Market, a small and fiercely independent neighbourhood with three key streets full of multicultural cafés, vintage shops and locally owned stores.

Best spots for quiet moments

Who can resist stopping for a selfie with the CN Tower as a backdrop through an east-facing window on the arrivals level? Like airport staff on breaks, I like to step outside and get some fresh air by the dock wall overlooking the water.

Outside the mainland pavilion, I sometimes grab a waterfront seat to marvel at abandoned silos and a heritage building that’s being transformed. Slated to open in 2025, the Corleck is an adaptive rehabilitation of a former Canada Malting Co. building. The Canada Ireland Foundation is leasing the building from the city to create a venue for arts, culture and heritage with a roof terrace.