Toronto City Centre Airport
Toronto/City Centre Airport | |||
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IATA: YTZ – ICAO: CYTZ | |||
Summary | |||
Airport type | Public | ||
Operator | Toronto Port Authority | ||
Coordinates | |||
Website | |||
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 (2007) | |||
Aircraft Movements | 90,199 | ||
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement[1] Statistics from Transport Canada.[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 to aviation in 1939, and was initially known as the Port George VI Airfield after the reigning monarch of the time. Despite its various official names, the airport has always been more commonly known as Toronto Island Airport.
During World War II it was used for air force training by the Royal Norwegian and Royal Canadian Air Forces. Since the war, it has been used for civil aviation, including scheduled airlines. In recent years, the airport has become the centre of controversy between the City of Toronto and community groups wishing to close it down and the Toronto Port Authority which wants to expand its usage.
Contents |
Operations
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 classified 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.[1]
Mainland access
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.
History
When the airport opened in 1939 as the Port George VI Airfield, 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 in use 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."
Controversies surrounding 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.
Local residents formed the community group Community AIR (Airport Impact Review) to oppose 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. Proponents, mainly business groups such as the Toronto Board of Trade, point to expansion of the airport as a financial boost for the city's downtown.
Bridge
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 — a Port Authority-sponsored public opinion poll conducted in November 2002 showed that Torontonians supported maintaining the airport (over converting it to a park) by a margin of 63% to 31%.[3] 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 public opinion change to oppose the bridge.[4] Councillor David Miller ran for Mayor on a platform to stop the building of the bridge, a position supported by Community Air and other local community groups. Other mayoral candidates Barbara Hall and John Tory supported the bridge. Despite the bridge being an election issue, 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. In its first session, the incoming City Council withdrew its support of the bridge 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 Porter Airlines owner Robert Deluce.
Air Canada Jazz eviction
A further controversy erupted in 2006, when Air Canada Jazz lost access to terminal space at the airport. Jazz had been leasing terminal space month-to-month from City Centre Aviation Limited (CCAL), a private company held by REGCO Holdings (owners of Porter Airlines). On January 31, 2006 CCAL issued Jazz with a 30-day termination notice.[5] Two days later, on February 2, the new Porter Airlines venture was announced.[6] Jazz contacted the Toronto Port Authority on February 3 to find other space. However the Toronto Port Authority does not control any suitable facilities which Jazz could use[7] and on February 15, 2006, Jazz announced a 'temporary' suspension of flights for the month of March.[5] This subsequently became permanent.
Airlines and destinations
- Porter Airlines (Halifax, Montréal, Mont Tremblant [seasonal], Newark [begins March 31], Ottawa, Quebec City [seasonal; begins June 27])
- Trans Capital Air
Airport data
Lighting
- Runway 08 - AS(TE HI) P1: Runway Identification Lights, High intensity runway, threshold, & end lights, variable 5 settings, Precision Approach Path Indicator (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 settings. 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).
Communications
- 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
Navigation
- VOT 110.4, VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) receiver test facility
- Non-directional beacon (NDB) GIBRALTAR POINT TZ 257 (NDB power output less than 50 watts)
- Distance measuring equipment (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
- Instrument landing system (ILS) ITZ 110.15 Ch 38(Y), RVR
- Localizer (LOC) XTC 110.15
Tenants
- CHC Helicopter
- Porter Airlines
- Island Air Flight School & Charters
- Cameron Air Service
- Cloud Air
- Trans Capital Air
- (Others listed at the Toronto Port Authority web site)
See also
Fire fighting and EMS is provided by Toronto Fire Services and Toronto EMS.
References
- ^ a b Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 14 February 2008 to 0901Z 10 April 2008
- ^ Aircraft Movement Statistics: NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations: Annual Report 2007
- ^ Support for Toronto City Centre Airport growing.
- ^ Wanagas, Don (October 17, 2003), "Hall fails to ignite passion for any cause", National Post: pg.A18
- ^ a b "Air Canada suspends its Jazz flights out of island airport for the month of March", National Post: pg.11, February 16, 2006
- ^ Gray, Jeff (February 3, 2006), "New island airline faces turbulent takeoff", The Globe and Mail: pg. A11
- ^ Air Canada Jazz evicted from Toronto City Centre Airport.
External links
- 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.
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