Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport’s award-winning noise reduction program helps keep disruption to the surrounding community to a minimum.SUPPLIED
The location of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport less than three kilometres from the city’s downtown core provides a unique appeal to passengers, but this location also holds airport owner PortsToronto to a different standard of operations that must consider the interests of everyone – passengers, partners and the surrounding community.
“Our location is truly unique in terms of convenience and efficiency, but it also pushes us to be innovative and ensure that a balance is established between commercial pursuits and community interests,” says Gene Cabral, executive vice president, Billy Bishop Airport. “There’s no better example than our airfield rehabilitation project, a three-year, $35-million program to modernize the airfield infrastructure, much of which was built in the 1960s.”
The project was not only completed on budget and ahead of schedule, but also with virtually no disruptions to airport operations, travellers or the surrounding community. This fact is particularly significant given that most construction activities for the project had to be completed overnight, when the airport was closed to commercial aircraft and the neighbourhood was tucked in for a good night’s sleep some 600 metres away.
“Only three construction-related complaints were received during the three years because extensive measures were put in place from the very beginning to ensure that overnight construction work did not disrupt the surrounding neighbourhood. This included barging the materials and equipment quietly across the harbour, as opposed to countless truck deliveries lumbering down city streets throughout the night,” adds Mr. Cabral.
The airfield rehabilitation project epitomizes the effort PortsToronto has put into elevating Billy Bishop to one of North America’s top regional airports for the last four years running, an honour bestowed by Skytrax World Airport Awards as well as Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Service Quality Awards and Condé Nast Traveler.
Modernizing infrastructure has been essential to accommodating the rising passenger demand for travel through Billy Bishop Airport. In fact, this past summer was the airport’s busiest ever with a record 818,000 passengers arriving and departing between June and August.
“From completing a multimillion-dollar airfield rehabilitation program to modernize the airfield at Billy Bishop Airport to unveiling upgraded passenger lounges in the airport terminal to beginning work on a beautiful outdoor public space for travellers and the community to enjoy, this year was a significant year with the airport ‘firing on all cylinders’ in terms of infrastructure investment, operational excellence and customer service,” said Geoffrey Wilson, chief executive officer, PortsToronto.
“But any upgrade or change needs to be considered in relation to the impact on the community and the role the airport needs to play for the City of Toronto,” adds Mr. Wilson.
In August this year, Environics Research was commissioned to survey Torontonians on what they think of Billy Bishop Airport. The random sample included an oversample of residents who live along the waterfront near to the airport. Key insights from the research include:
97 per cent of users have a positive opinion of the airport;
80 per cent of respondents believe the airport is a valuable asset to the city;
76 per cent believe the airport is an important driver for economic growth and job creation;
82 per cent of waterfront residents and 83 per cent of Old Toronto residents have a positive opinion of the airport.
“These findings validate the work we have undertaken to modernize the airport and ensure that it continues to provide efficient service and connectivity to the 2.8 million passengers who travel through it each year,” says Mr. Wilson.
Equally important is the airport’s role as a key driver of Toronto’s economy, generating more than $470-million in GDP annually, supporting 4,740 indirect and 2,080 direct jobs, and providing an important gateway that facilitates trade and tourism.
It’s also important to balance Billy Bishop Airport’s contribution to the economy, the needs of the community and protection of the environment.
“Whether it’s our award-winning noise mitigation program or reducing our environmental footprint through the use of hybrid-electric vehicles, or encouraging passengers to walk, bike, use public transit or the complimentary shuttle to access the airport, we continue to invest in a positive future for our airport, our neighbourhood and our environment,” says Mr. Wilson.
Thanks to its proximity to downtown Toronto, Billy Bishop Airport has one of the lowest rate of single-vehicle access in North America. Approximately 40 per cent of travellers bike, walk, shuttle or use transit from the airport.
“The fact that people walk or bike to the airport rather than take their cars and sit in traffic on the 401 is a key differentiator for our airport and a key environmental advantage,” adds Mr. Wilson.
Going forward, Billy Bishop Airport will remain committed to a managed growth strategy in balance with the surrounding community and the capacity of supporting transportation and access infrastructure.
“As we look toward the future, we look forward to continuing to make the airport the best it can be – that means the best for our passengers with modernization and convenience top-of-mind; the best for the community by investing in impact mitigation that includes infrastructure and business practices that addresses noise; and the best for our stakeholders, including the City of Toronto, who have been excellent partners in ensuring the airport has a role to play in the future of the city,” says Mr. Wilson.
Produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved in its creation.