Huge drop in flights at the Toronto Island Airport

The Island Airport’s business continues to fall dramatically to just 71 commercial flights last Tuesday, a drop of 65% from its peak of 202 flights, pre COVID (the data is found at FlightAware.com).

Checking flights on a randomly selected day, February 17, 2026, Porter had just 53 flights, a 70% decline from its peak of 172 flights.

Air Canada’s 18 flights declined by 47% from its peak of 30.

Looking at specific destinations over just the past 2+ years, for Porter, from October 26, 2023 to February 17, 2026.

• Flights to and from Newark declined from 14 to 10,

• Flights to and from Ottawa declined from 18 to 6

• Flights to and from Montreal declined from 14 to 8,

• Flights to and from Chicago declined from 4 to 2,

• Flights to and from Washington declined from 3 to 1.

There were no flights to and from Saint John (down from 1), Washington (down from 3) or Quebec City (down from 2).

Porter has announced it will cease flights to and from Sudbury as of May 1.

While there has been a dramatic drop in the number of travelers to the US, the decline at the Island Airport is across the board, for flights within Canada, as well as those to the US. Detailed flight stats to February 17, 2026 below.

Flights-to-Feb-17-2026.pdf

Download PDF • 55KB

What's going on?

Porter’s success operating jets out of Pearson Airport (and its failure to obtain approval to operate jets out of the Island Airport) has led it to fundamentally change its business model – emphasizing flights out of Pearson and reducing its unprofitable use of the Island Airport: even before COVID, Porter, then operating solely out of the Island Airport, admitted losses of $18,910,000 in 2017, a projected $40M in 2018, when it reduced its slots by 30%, from 172 to 140, and $30M losses in 2019.

Could it be that the greater flight selection at Pearson and the popularity of the Union Pearson Express has caused this decline? Porter has stated these are key factors.

Unlike the Island Airport, Pearson’s business has not declined – in fact it has increased on a per passenger basis each year since COVID.

Operating out of the Island Airport has been challenging for Porter for a long time: back in 2010, Porter abandoned its initial public offering when it had to report accumulated losses as of March 31, 2010 of $44,505,000. Will it join City Express and Air Ontario, which both failed in their efforts to profitably fly out of the Island Airport?

The 71 total flights are far fewer than Toronto Port Authority’s fantasy projections (in its 2019 Master Plan):

Toronto Port Authority’s projections in its 2019 Master Plan

The decline must place the proposed Runway End Safety Project into some doubt – how prudent is investing $61-64 million (the cost cited by City staff in 2024) into improving Airport facilities if it cannot sustain its business?

Will the promised U.S. Customs pre clearance at the Island Airport make a difference? We can expect some upswing in flights to the US as a result, but travel to the US is in marked decline since Trump’s attacks on Canada. Expect those factors to balance out.

Canadian passengers to the USA, percentage change from 12 months previous (from Data Shows)

Query whether the pre clearance facility will ever open, given US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra’ statement last September:

"Matter of fact, the numbers are down. We're not sure we can make the numbers work anymore … pre-clearance is something that is done at the expense of the U.S. government. We paid for it," he said. "You know, [if] you can't make the numbers work anymore – you're all business people. You know what that means. You've got to take a look at some of these things."

We asked the Minister of Transport who is paying for the Island Airport facility and staffing, since the U.S Authorities have refused. We have had no reply.

Toronto Island Airport – Porter and Air Canada planes on the runway