Billy Bishop airport receives federal funding boost
Transport Canada has provided a significant funding boost to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to help it recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PortsToronto, which owns and operates the airport, will receive more than $14 million to help it recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support continued air services and transportation infrastructure projects at the airport.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced the funding on March 18.
“These critical investments will allow Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to invest in the infrastructure and tools needed to help re-invigorate the aviation industry and to allow Canadians to feel safe and secure when they travel,” he said.
The airport will receive more than $10.9 million from Transport Canada’s Airport Critical Infrastructure Program to:
- rehabilitate electrical infrastructure;
- purchase airfield support equipment;
- upgrade the airport security systems;
- rehabilitate the waterfront retaining walls;
- maintain airfield pavement; and
- replace airport security fencing and gates.
The program will provide more than $570 million in funding over five years to airports for eligible infrastructure projects related to safety, security, connectivity to mass transit systems, or testing and screening related to COVID-19 and its variants.
“This investment in Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport will support our shared goals of recovery, rebuilding and reaching environmental targets,” said PortsToronto executive vice-president Gene Cabral. “Investing in key infrastructure and climate action projects will ensure the airport is well positioned to support pandemic recovery in our region and continue to serve as an essential transportation gateway to Canada’s largest city – supporting jobs, tourism and trade in the Greater Toronto Area.”
In addition to the funding for the infrastructure projects, the federal government also provided Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with over $3.1 million from Transport Canada’s Airport Relief Fund to help it maintain continued airport operations and essential air services for residents and workers in the Greater Toronto Area and its surrounding communities.
The fund provided $64.8 million in funding last year for targeted airports whose 2019 revenues were less than $250 million.