Is Pearson at capacity? What Liberal MPs need to know

Parks not Planes, June 2026

Part 2 of 8

Toronto’s Liberal Members of Parliament have been feeling the pressure from the many constituents who have been appalled by Doug Ford’s efforts to inflict jets on Toronto’s waterfront.

We’ve seen a number of lengthy responses from them, often quite similar to each other.

What is notable in those responses is the repetition of talking points that are based on incomplete or even wrong information.

It is surprising that they do seem to take Nieuport lobbyists’ word without ensuring what they are being told by the lobbyists can be relied upon.

Here’s our effort to ensure the jets debate is founded on fact: what those MPs need to know.

2: Is Pearson at capacity?

The answer is NO. Does it have capacity for expansion? Yes.

So, what’s with Transport Minister MacKinnon? See this, from CBC News:

Federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon said Monday he'll be working with the province "to design a path forward" at Billy Bishop, noting that there are safety issues to consider but also that Toronto's Pearson airport is "congested." [our emphasis]

Yes, Pearson is busy. During 2025, Toronto Pearson processed 47.3 million passengers, up from 46.8m in 2024, and 44.8m in 2023, down from a peak of 50.5M in 2019.

Enabled by Pearson LIFT, Pearson’s management states that Pearson can grow to serve 65 million passengers a year . LIFT’s first phase, already begun, includes a “$3-billion investment in airside and baggage systems, unlocking space for millions more passengers and delivering a smoother, faster and more reliable journey from curb to gate”.

In fact, CBC News reported on May 19 that Pearson has plenty of capacity for expansion.

The 2020 KPMG study that led to the long-overdue federal government decision that the Pickering airport, proposed more than 50 years ago, was not needed, concluded that, with planned improvements, there was sufficient capacity at Pearson to meet anticipated demand well into the future.

There is no study that concludes that Pearson’s capacity is insufficient to meet current and anticipated demand.

There is therefore no rationale for expanding the Island Airport’s capacity to relieve Pearson’s “congestion”.

We use “Island Airport” rather than “Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport”, as that’s a mouthful, more about marketing, and “Island Airport” is what the Airport is commonly referred to as.

Our Ask

This debate needs to be based on facts, not lobbyists’ talking points.

We ask that those Liberal MPs confirm now that the federal government will

1. continue to honour its pledge in 2015 to reject jets at the Island Airport and

2. continue to ensure City’s participation as a full party to the Tripartite Agreement, notwithstanding Premier Ford’s efforts to usurp the City’s role.

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More things Liberal MP's need to know

1. Can the promised consultation happen this summer?

2. Is Pearson at capacity?

3. Are the Planned Runway Extensions the Right Option for Improving Island Airport Safety?

4. Are There Other Safety Issues?

5. Does the Island Airport Have a Future?

6. Is the Island Airport “a key regional and emergency health transportation hub for Ontario”?

7. Is the current “balances of uses” sacred?

8. Who Is Talking About a Second Runway? 

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A list of some recent and proposed airport closures.

1. Tempelhof Airport: Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin, closed 2008

Tempelhof’s central location meant flight noise affected vast residential areas, and its short runways couldn’t accommodate modern aircraft. After closure it was transformed and reopened as a community park, garden, and nature reserve in 2010 — now a haven for skateboarders, cyclists, and picnickers who value the vast greenery in a dense city. On an average day around 10,000 Berliners use the space. (Medium, Berlin Beyond Borders)

2. Edmonton City Centre Airport, closed 2013

Redevelopment plans called for a community of approximately 30,000 people – described as a walkable, sustainable, holistic community with a retail sector. This one is Canadian and directly relevant as a precedent. (Global News).

3. Chicago Meigs Field

On the night of March 30, 2003, Daley ordered city crews to make the runway unusable by bulldozing large "X"-shaped gouges into the runway surface in the middle of the night. This resulted in several aircraft being stranded on the ground at the airport; these were later allowed to depart from Meigs' 3,000-foot (910 m) taxiway.

Daley stated during a news conference on March 31, "To do this any other way would have been needlessly contentious." Daley defended his actions by claiming it would save the city of Chicago the effort of further court battles before the airport could close. He also claimed the closure was due to safety concerns, particularly the post-9/11 risk of terrorist-controlled aircraft attacking the downtown waterfront near Meigs Field

Northerly Island is now a park that features prairie grasses, strolling paths and a giant pond. In 2005, the 7,500 seat Huntington Bank Pavilion, which hosts music concerts in the summer, opened on the site. The island also has a modest beach named 12th Street Beach (Wikipedia)

4. Santa Monica Municipal Airport

It has been one of the world's foremost general aviation airports (at one time, the busiest single-runway airport in the world). The airport is scheduled to close on December 31, 2028.

In 2009, with jet traffic increasing at SMO, studies by UCLA and the South Coast Air Quality Management District warned that SMO was a source of abnormally high air pollution in the area, particularly for ultrafine particles that threatened the health of children and the elderly, and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In neighbourhoods downwind of the airport, ultrafine particles were measured at 2.5 to 10 times the normal amount. The FAA attempted remediation by controlling the timing of engine run-ups and positioning of aircraft, but some residents complained that the measures failed to resolve the problem.

In 2017, the FAA agreed to let the city shorten the runway from 4,925 feet (1,501 m) to 3,500 feet (1,100 m) – effectively blocking most jets from using the airport – and allowing the city to completely close the airport by December 31, 2028 (Wikipedia)

5. International Airport Central Park neighbourhood, Denver, closed 1995

The project generated billions in economic impact and employed thousands in high-paying jobs. The land was redeveloped into a thriving urban community of 35,000 residents, now held up as a model for urban redevelopment initiatives. The redevelopment was built on three principles: economic opportunity, environmental responsibility, and social equity. (Denver Urban Renewal Authority – Stapleton Urban Land Institute Case Study)

6. Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, proposed closure, 2024 study

A current, directly comparable case – downtown waterfront airport with jet service. A city-commissioned report found that redeveloping Burke with mixed uses – hotels, recreation, and open spaces – could generate up to $92 million per year in new economic activity, concluding that closure “would permit investment that would ultimately have greater economic activity than currently occurring” at the airport. (Cleveland Magazine, Sept. 2024)