Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) is all about convenience. With its waterside downtown location giving easy access to city hotels and attractions, this small airport is the antithesis of the sprawling Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 14 miles northwest of downtown Toronto.
The vast majority of routes at YTZ are handled by Porter Airlines and they serve a variety of short-haul eastern Canadian locations as well as significant American cities like Boston, New York, Washington DC and Chicago. Air Canada also operates 2 routes to Montreal and Ottawa.
Here are a few tips on how to navigate this handy little airport next time you’re in Toronto.
My favorite thing about YTZ is its location on Lake Ontario, so when booking ahead try to pick a window seat on the left side of the plane for the best skyline views of downtown Toronto. The direction of landing and takeoff is always subject to change but left is usually best here.
There is only ever a maximum of 5 to 6 flights arriving per hour at YTZ and they are all on small De Havilland Canada Dash 8 propeller aircraft. The immigration line will rarely be long and snaking like you might find at larger airports. It usually takes me under 10 minutes to get through immigration here and anything over 20 minutes would be an extreme rarity.
The airport only has 1 baggage carousel, so finding your way to your luggage is a simple process and you shouldn’t have to wait long for bags to be delivered once you pass through immigration.
You’ll notice on approach that the airport is actually on an island, so you’ll have to navigate that before leaving YTZ. Your options are a ferry service that makes the short 400-foot, 90-second journey to the mainland or a pedestrian tunnel that opened in 2015. I recommend the tunnel if you’re travelling light – it only takes around 6 minutes to walk – but the ferry is better if you’re carrying heavier luggage.
YTZ is situated just off Eireann Quay at the bottom of Bathurst Street, where the ferry terminal also sits. You can walk around 7 minutes north and jump on either the 509 or 511 TTC streetcars that later connect with the subway system. The 509 also takes you to Union Station, which is the city’s main hub in the heart of downtown – many significant hotels are nearby.
The airport also runs a free shuttle bus service to the Fairmont Royal York hotel (across the street from Union Station) every 15 minutes, so that can be a more convenient option if this area of downtown Toronto is your final destination. Some other high-end hotels also offer an airport transfer service that will get you to your downtown hotel within 20 minutes, so check with your hotel when booking.
Eireann Quay is a small dead end and ordering a taxi here is a fairly simple process once you’re out of the main pavilion (unlike the chaos at Pearson).
Toronto’s downtown is quite a sprawling affair and in my opinion, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are a better option than public transportation if your hotel is somewhere like Yorkville, or if you’ve booked an Airbnb in one of the city’s vibrant western neighborhoods like The Annex or Little Italy.
You’ll see the Hertz counter just after leaving the baggage area and if you’re looking to rent a car that’s your best bet. I’d only recommend this if you’re looking to travel down to the likes of Niagara, though, as Toronto isn’t the most car-friendly city and public transportation is (usually) good.
After walking through the pedestrian tunnel, there are 2 sets of escalators (no elevators) taking you up to the airport proper and you’ll emerge into one of my favorite parts of YTZ – the departures area, with a hanging replica of Billy Bishop’s Nieuport 17 World War I fighter plane (Bishop was a Canadian WWI flying ace).
The Porter and Air Canada check-in desks are in the upper level of YTZ so you’ll have to traverse another escalator to reach them. It’s a fairly mundane scene but note that security for the US is to the left and Canada to the right.
Both are labeled at the top of the escalator, but you might miss the signs because the skyline views of Toronto are pretty spectacular through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows to your left. Security is fairly routine here.
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and it’s pretty good, which is useful for foreign travelers arriving in Canada who haven’t set up a data roaming service on their phone or installed an e-sim. I’d perhaps use this to order a taxi. Keep in mind that most major US cell providers now include free calls and data in Canada, so you may not even need it.
While the Wi-Fi at YTZ is good, I’d recommend saving your boarding pass as a PDF on your cell phone before arriving – and make sure it’s actually on your phone and not in a cloud service that’s reliant on an internet connection. If any issues do occur, you’ll know that you can still access your boarding pass regardless of Wi-Fi or data signal.
Other places to access the internet are the complimentary workstations in the lounges, though as a business-focused airport I can’t help but feel these are a little obsolete. While you’ll probably just want to do so directly on your own devices wherever you’re seated, these are an option if you’re out of charge or can’t connect for some reason.
There’s a small Gateway stand downstairs in the pre-security area of departures if you need any essentials, but be mindful about what you can and can’t take through security. I usually skip buying anything from here and wait until I’m on the other side.
Following security, there’s a duty-free shop in the trans-border lounge featuring all the usual suspects from high-end fragrances to special travel edition whiskies. In both the domestic and trans-border departure areas you’ll find Hudson Travel Essentials stores with grab-and-go food and other travel items. I don’t bother buying food for the flights from YTZ as they’re all short-haul routes. If I’m starving, I’ll just eat at the airport.
There are few shops here compared to the much bigger Pearson International, so if you’re looking for last-minute mementos I’d suggest doing any souvenir shopping before you reach the airport. There are ATMs at the departures level and at the mainland ferry terminal if you do need Canadian cash, though.
Food and drink options differ depending on whether you’re travelling domestically or to the United States. For those heading to the US, Market@416 is a sleek spot offering everything from morning coffee and pastries to craft beer and burgers in the afternoon. On the domestic side, Obispo is a tapas joint that offers virtually the same menu as Market@416 while Balzac’s Coffee Roasters is a fine place for a caffeine fix.
Something I like about YTZ departures is that many of the seats and sofas feature charging spots for your phone and other devices. Of course, I recommend arriving at the airport with a fully charged phone already but it never hurts to stay powered while you browse or work.
The Aspire Air Canada Café at Billy Bishop opened in 2023 and is open to all Aeroplan 50K, 75K, Super Elite status, Star Alliance Gold, Priority Pass and Dragon Pass members. If you’re not a member of these programs you can buy a day pass – it’s cheaper if you book in advance.
The cost of entry may seem a bit steep at first, but it’s not bad value considering all your food and drink inside are complimentary. It’s a slick operation within and I think it’s worth it if you have a little wait for your flight.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
IATA Code | YTZ |
---|---|
Serves | Toronto |
Hub for | Condor, Philippine Airlines, LOT |