Downsview Airport (YZD)

[Second_in_pie]

John Munro would be a good airport to expand. It would help the GGH remain less centralized, and would help Hamilton develop it's own economy. It would also provide a great gateway to Niagara Falls for vacations, and special deals there could probably help both Hamilton and Niagara.

I don't think that Pickering is a great idea, really. I have a feeling that we'll need a place to put more freight traffic, but I think John Munro would be a better candidate for that, and would help Hamilton reach it's goals of being reliant on less heavy industries and more into things like Pharmaceuticals.

After that, we don't really need anything else. The smaller airports like Buttonville and Oshawa should stay open, but remain in private traffic. But I actually can't keep a straight face when someone proposes Buttonville as a receiver of chartered flights as an alleviator to Pearson.

I think with a quick city centre link (Toronto Island,) the big international airport (Pearson,) and the outer city/vacation airport (Hamilton,) we should be set. And if Ontario and Quebec get any further in cooperating for Quebec-Windsor HSR, Pearson's going to see a lot less traffic. Once (if,) the US gets working on it's designated HSR routes, I imagine air traffic to those rather huge destinations will drop considerably. The Quebec-Windsor Corridor, coupled by a Chicago-Detroit HSR, and New York HSR, could make Pearson laughable as a major international airport. So instead, we should be working on making Union station as large and fluid as possible. Make it a real contender to Grand Central, and bury the tracks through downtown, for god sake's!

 

[GregWTravels]

The Quebec-Windsor Corridor, coupled by a Chicago-Detroit HSR, and New York HSR, could make Pearson laughable as a major international airport.

Pearson is well positioned to be a transfer airport for folks coming from Europe and heading south to Latin America. For many people, transfering via the USA is a pain due to the visa restrictions. Toronto could pick up a large amount of of that traffic. The future could be less domestic and trans-border flights and more long-haul international flights.

 

[LAz]

I like the idea of having the downsview airport to commercial air travel. I don't think that there should be too many flights, but why not link up the airport with several big cities? It's worth it I'm sure.



The problem is that it makes too much sense, and when something makes too much sense, the authorities say no.

 

[yyzhyd]

I like the idea of having the downsview airport to commercial air travel. I don't think that there should be too many flights, but why not link up the airport with several big cities? It's worth it I'm sure.



The problem is that it makes too much sense, and when something makes too much sense, the authorities say no.

What exactly about having Downsview airport open to commercial traffic makes sense?
I am just dying to hear your analysis...

 

[urbanfan89]

Pearson is well positioned to be a transfer airport for folks coming from Europe and heading south to Latin America. For many people, transfering via the USA is a pain due to the visa restrictions. Toronto could pick up a large amount of of that traffic. The future could be less domestic and trans-border flights and more long-haul international flights.

It's too late for that. Madrid Barajas Airport has stolen that market. YYZ could become a hub for those travelling between Europe and less important US cities without immigration facilities, and thus need to use the preclearance US customs facilties.

 

[Second_in_pie]

It's too late for that. Madrid Barajas Airport has stolen that market. YYZ could become a hub for those travelling between Europe and less important US cities without immigration facilities, and thus need to use the preclearance US customs facilties.

Since when can't we compete? Pearson is in an excellent location, and I don't see why we shouldn't at least try.

 

[hkskyline]

I suspect due to Spain's colonial ties to South America, they have significantly more capacity, wider range of destinations, and better prices to that part of the world.

 

[picard102]

3) I don't know how residents in the area would take it. They already see tons of air traffic from being close to Pearson. It'd be unfair to make them suffer even more.

I live 2 blocks away on Wilson. I never notice much air traffic to Pearson unless I'm outside and looking up. Hardly hear it at all. Always love to see the planes land at Downsview when I'm driving on Wilson.

I'd love to have a light plane and park it at Downsview.

 

[kEiThZ]

It is twice as far from Pearson as their current facility at Downsview and has room for expansion.

I am not saying this is a good idea, just don't think you can write it off because it is too close to Pearson.

If you look at a GTA Terminal Area Chart, you'll understand what I'm saying.

 

[kEiThZ]

I suspect due to Spain's colonial ties to South America, they have significantly more capacity, wider range of destinations, and better prices to that part of the world.

Maybe, but airport fees, alliances, etc. all play a role these days. Air Canada is well positioned to at least attract some Europe-Latin America travel. And this function would be just one. Pearson could also function as a hub for Europe-US travellers as well. Adding up Pearson's various roles, it's clear that Pearson will be busy for a long time to come.

That said, I doubt it'll be busy enough to need another international airport in the GTA.

However, Pickering is in the plans not just because of Pearson. Pickering would allow consolidation of traffic from Buttonville, Oshawa, Markham and even the Island. Whether that kind of consolidation is beneficial or not is debatable. But it is one of the rationales behind building Pickering.

 

[hkskyline]

Maybe, but airport fees, alliances, etc. all play a role these days. Air Canada is well positioned to at least attract some Europe-Latin America travel. And this function would be just one. Pearson could also function as a hub for Europe-US travellers as well. Adding up Pearson's various roles, it's clear that Pearson will be busy for a long time to come.

That said, I doubt it'll be busy enough to need another international airport in the GTA.

However, Pickering is in the plans not just because of Pearson. Pickering would allow consolidation of traffic from Buttonville, Oshawa, Markham and even the Island. Whether that kind of consolidation is beneficial or not is debatable. But it is one of the rationales behind building Pickering.

I'm very doubtful how successful Air Canada can become a transit carrier. First, there is an added hassle of clearing 2 sets of immigration and customs. Second, transatlantic fares for American carriers through New York are far cheaper due to intense competition. Hence, it makes sense for a passenger to get a cheap ticket into Newark / JFK (and these prices are going down with the new Open Skies between EU & US) and then move on to the rest of the continent / beyond.

I suspect AC will have a very hard time capturing a decent market share. However, it seems it will likely succeed more for Asian routes, where their network is a bit more comprehensive than what many US carriers now offer.

 

[LAz]

What exactly about having Downsview airport open to commercial traffic makes sense?
I am just dying to hear your analysis...

Well, if I were to go to Toronto I would much rather like to go to an airport off of which I could just hop onto the metro. Downsview station is pretty much beside the airport. They can get some small monorail to move people between the airport and the station, or make an underground tunnel or something directly into the station.

I think that there is much potential for the downsview airport because it is so close to the metro.

 

[allabootmatt]

Maybe, but airport fees, alliances, etc. all play a role these days. Air Canada is well positioned to at least attract some Europe-Latin America travel. And this function would be just one. Pearson could also function as a hub for Europe-US travellers as well. Adding up Pearson's various roles, it's clear that Pearson will be busy for a long time to come.

That said, I doubt it'll be busy enough to need another international airport in the GTA.

.

Indeed. Also, if/when Pearson finally(!) gets a sterile transit zone, eliminating the need for connecting pax to clear Canadian customs solely to change planes, it will be even more attractive. The current set up in T1 of a sort of turn-back for intl-to-intl pax, where they still clear Canadian customs but don't actually have to leave the secure area of the terminal, is an OK compromise but should be improved. Sterile zones are absolutely normal in Europe and Asia.


For what it's worth, I've noticed a larger number of people connecting from Europe to the US and LatAm via YYZ than before in the last couple of years, but maybe I'm just paying more attention than I was previously.

 

[urbanfan89]

Well, if I were to go to Toronto I would much rather like to go to an airport off of which I could just hop onto the metro. Downsview station is pretty much beside the airport. They can get some small monorail to move people between the airport and the station, or make an underground tunnel or something directly into the station.

I think that there is much potential for the downsview airport because it is so close to the metro.

Downtown Toronto is just beside the Toronto Islands Airport. There already is a monorail at the YYZ terminals. All they have to do is extend it to the Eglinton Subway line if/when it gets built.

I'm still dying to see how 777s and A380s are going to provide flights from Downsview to Paris or Shanghai...

 

[LAz]

The plan is not to build the eglinton subway that far. The plan is to make it a light rail pos, resulting in trams going to the airport instead of an actual high speed metro.


This is why I have more love for the downsview metro.


I do not have need to go into the deep downtown, so I am not interested in the island airport. On top of that if I go there I gotta take a ferry and some other stuff until I get to downtown.