Minister of Transport announces Southern Ontario’s airport capacity study

Southern Ontario is Canada's most populous area, with the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) alone home to over six million Canadians.

The Minister of Transport has announced that Transport Canada has issued a Request for Proposals, which will allow an aviation service contractor to analyse current and future air supply of Southern Ontario. 

Southern Ontario is Canada’s most populous area, with the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) alone home to over six million Canadians. Ontario’s population is also expected to grow significantly over the next two decades. This is why the Government of Canada needs to assess the requirement for additional airport capacity in the region.

The contractor will assist Transport Canada officials in scoping the requirements for a comprehensive study of airport capacity in Southern Ontario, as well as a formal consultation process.

Following the scoping of work for the study, Transport Canada will post a second Request for Proposals to engage a third-party contractor to undertake the study as well as the consultation.

This analysis, as well as engagement with local stakeholders, the provincial and municipal governments, and Indigenous Peoples, is a first step towards making a final decision to address future airport capacity constraints in the region, and on the future of the Pickering Lands. We have no intention to proceed with building an airport on the Pickering Lands in the near term and the conclusions of the study could lead, for example, to a determination that an airport on the Pickering Lands is not required in the long term.

The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport said:  “Air travel is essential to growing an economy that works for everyone and creating good, middle-class jobs in Southern Ontario and the rest of the country. As we continue to support the recovery of the air sector, there is a need to study and understand the potential impacts of a growing population on existing airport infrastructure. Today is the beginning of a process to analyse the future of the Southern Ontario airport system. This work will also bring us closer to making a final decision on the Pickering Lands.”