Runway End Safety Area (RESA) Construction Notice
The Toronto Port Authority will begin construction of two new Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in mid-July 2026 as part of a federally mandated safety enhancement project. Commencement of the project follows an Environmental Assessment that was conducted in 2024, and approval by the City of Toronto in October 2024.
Required by Transport Canada, RESAs are cleared and graded safety areas located beyond the ends of active runways. They are designed to provide an additional margin of safety in the unlikely event that an aircraft travels beyond the runway, helping to reduce the severity of potential aircraft damage and enhancing safety for passengers and crew.
The project fulfills Transport Canada’s Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Parts I, III and VI — RESA) and aligns Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with current Canadian and international aviation safety standards.
Construction and Community Considerations
Construction activities will begin in mid-July 2026 and will occur intermittently through fall 2027. To minimize impacts on airport operations and daytime activity in Toronto’s Inner Harbour, most construction work will take place overnight.
Construction hours are generally scheduled between 11 PM and 6 AM, Monday through Saturday, with site staging beginning as early as 9 PM.
To limit traffic disruptions and impacts on surrounding communities, the majority of construction personnel, equipment and materials will be transported by barge from staging areas in the Port Lands rather than by road. Construction-related traffic will not access the project through Eireann Quay or the airport ferry.
The project also includes extensive mitigation measures related to lighting, noise, vibration, air quality, dust management, traffic operations and marine navigation, with ongoing environmental monitoring and reporting throughout construction.
Throughout construction, helicopter medical evacuation (medevac) operations will continue uninterrupted.
The project does not extend the active runway, facilitate the use of new aircraft, increase airport operations, or alter the existing Marine Exclusion Zone.
Project Timeline
- Construction begins: mid-July 2026
- In-water work completed: early 2027
- RESAs operational: July 2027
- Site restoration and habitat enhancement: Fall 2027
Learn More
A dedicated project webpage containing project information, mitigation measures, Environmental Assessment documents, a video and an interactive map are available at: www.torontoportauthority.com/capital-projects/resa.
Information Session
A free, 30-minute public information session will be held on Thursday, July 9 at 11:30 AM on Microsoft Teams. Presenters will walk through the information posted online. Register to attend at https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4b9d68b7-2785-4c39-96cf-1d2787ffdc16@ae2f654e-c82c-4f2d-b929-559a8205d897.
A recording of this session will be posted to the Toronto Port Authority website along with answers to any questions received.
For all community Inquiries: RESA@torontoportauthority.com