Background

A Runway End Safety Area (RESA) is a cleared and graded area of land located immediately beyond the end of the runway. RESA is designed to reduce the severity of damage to an aircraft undershooting or overrunning the runway. RESA does not extend the length of the active runway. Transport Canada’s guidelines also require that RESA facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles.

Transport Canada requires Canadian airports that service 325,000 passengers for two consecutive years to implement RESA within three years. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport will meet this threshold in Summer 2024. This will trigger the RESA requirement which will need to be met by mid-2027.

Billy Bishop Airport: An Urban Asset

The Airport plays an important role for the City of Toronto and in the lives of the Toronto Island residents. It is a key driver to Toronto’s economy, generating more than $2.1 billion in total economic output and supporting 4,450 jobs, including 2,080 directly associated with the Airport’s operations. It also supports the City by providing priority access for City and Emergency vehicles traveling to the Island on the Airport ferry, the most capable vessel in the harbour with respect to moving vehicles. These vehicles offer a variety of services to Island residents such as maintaining the water plant, providing sanitation service and maintaining and building infrastructure. 

Work to Date

In order to understand the features, benefits and impacts of a variety of RESA options, PortsToronto carried out a comprehensive planning study in 2023/24. This study looked at several alternatives.

The options were assessed based on:

  • Safety requirements;

  • Design standards; 

  • Impacts on natural environment including marine environment;

  • Climate resilience;

  • Sustainability;

  • Operational impacts;

  • Cost estimates;

  • Conceptual timelines for implementation; and

  • The ability to incorporate community benefits.

We held two public consultation meetings on July 17 from 2-4 pm and 6-8pm at the Auditorium at George Brown Waterfront Campus (51 Dockside Drive)

  • To view the slides presented at these meetings, click here (PDF).

  • To view videos of the public consultation meetings, click here.

What you should know

The construction of RESA as well as any additional improvements will not lengthen the active runway, facilitate the use of new aircraft, or increase operations at the Airport.  The boundaries and size of the existing Marine Exclusion Zone will also remain unchanged.

  • PortsToronto is committed to full compliance with RESA and all other safety regulations and is working with the Tripartite Agreement partners to meet the deadline for implementation.

  • RESA is a requirement for all Canadian airports meeting or exceeding 325,000 passengers for two consecutive years. Billy Bishop Airport met this milestone in December 2023 and once this is confirmed by Statistics Canada in mid-summer 2024, the clock starts on a 3-year implementation period which ends in Q2 2027.

  • The construction of RESA at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport will require a modest addition of land mass to the east and west ends of the existing runway.

  • By increasing the runway end land mass area beyond the minimum viable requirement, PortsToronto has determined that it can also achieve several additional safety, noise reduction, air quality improvement and operational benefits.

  • In order for RESA to be implemented, the agreement that governs the use and operation of the Airport needs to be updated to permit landmass extension and adjusting the term to allow PortsToronto to secure financing.

Studies and resources

Public meeting about RESA compliance - July 17, 2024

PortsToronto & Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Resources

Pour les rapports et études en français, veuillez cliquer ici.

We will continue to post studies and materials here as they become available.