Toronto Pearson International Airport, Then and Now: Part Two

In 1995, to meet YYZ’s needs through to 2030, the GTAA proposed to replace YYZ’s Terminal 1-Aeroquay and Terminal 2, home of Air Canada, with a new Terminal 1. The logistical and operational challenges were formidable. All airline and airport operations had to be maintained while demolition of existing obsolete infrastructure occurred and new construction began. Not only was a new terminal planned, but 2 new runways, a massive infield operational and cargo area, a specialized de-icing bay and related taxiways and roadways were to be built and integrated into YYZ’s operation.

2023-02-20T20:03:28-08:00January 29th, 2014|
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Meet Dash, Goliath & Hercules – YVR’s Wildlife Control Experts

Airplanes and birds don't play well together. Just ask Captain Sully and First Officer Jeff, whose encounter with a flock of Canada Geese turned their A320 into a glider. Or talk to the crews of the approximately 150 planes per year at Vancouver International Airport that report bird strikes. Flight safety can be seriously compromised, repair costs for the airlines are huge, passengers are often inconvenienced, and for the birds, well, it's fatal.

2023-02-20T20:03:28-08:00January 23rd, 2014|
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Toronto Pearson International Airport, Then and Now: Part One

By most any measure, Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is big. Canada’s busiest airport has five runways, two terminals with over 110 gates, serves 35 million passengers annually, and has a huge cargo center and the world’s biggest aircraft de-icing facility. 60 airlines serve YYZ with flights to over 150 destinations, it’s the 34th largest airport in the world, and is ranked 2nd largest in international passenger traffic in North America. The airport is home to Air Canada’s largest hub, and as a founding member of Star Alliance, it’s the major Canadian hub for that airline group.

2023-02-20T20:03:28-08:00January 20th, 2014|
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Flight Review of WestJet Encore: On Board Their Newest Q400

This was going to be a great day for AirlineReporter.com's Canadian "Senior Contributor." That would be me! I was flying with a new Canadian airline in a brand new Canadian-built plane, traveling from a major Canadian airport over some stunning Canadian landscape, and visiting the headquarters of one of "Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures," which happens to be a major Canadian airline.

2023-02-20T20:03:29-08:00October 25th, 2013|
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Air Canada: New Planes, New Seats, New Rules, and More…

It's looking pretty busy at Air Canada (AC) and not just because they've launched their new "leisure airline," rouge. This summer, AC took delivery of the first two 777-300ERs from their latest five-plane order. When this order is completed, AC will have 17 -300ERs and 6 -200LRs in their international fleet. While AC's new 777s look standard on the outside, they are very different inside.

2023-02-20T20:03:29-08:00September 10th, 2013|
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Inside The World’s Highest ATC Tower: Vancouver YHC

Name an airport that’s located in a major North American city, and has scheduled airline service. Easy? Sure. How about one that doesn’t have any runways? And has the world’s highest control tower, uses something other than radar to keep an eye on traffic, and even has instrument approaches that aircraft use when the weather is down. Not possible? Think again - I’ve just described Vancouver Harbour Tower and Water Airport. (CYHC)

2023-02-20T20:03:29-08:00July 30th, 2013|
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An AvGeek Look at YWG & Winnipeg

Dear YWG - Somehow, AirlineReporter.com missed the opening of your new terminal in October, 2011. We must have been busy with the 787, A380, airline mergers and stuff like that. But we still want to talk about you. And by the way, we do know that your full name is “Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport”, but frankly, that’s a lot to type over and over. So we’ll just call you YWG. Hope you’re OK with that. Sincerely, Howard at AirlineReporter.com

2023-02-20T20:03:31-08:00May 18th, 2013|
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Tales from the Ramp at Toronto’s Airport – 1970’s Edition

I was in my late teens in the early 1970s. For two summers, I had the absolutely perfect job that any young AvGeek would ever want – working on the ramp at a major airport. Yes, I’m proud to say that I was a “Ramp Rat”! My summer job was at Toronto International Airport (YYZ), then also known as Malton Airport. I worked in Terminal 1, the uniquely-designed round-concourse “Aeroquay”. It’s long gone, having been demolished and replaced by YYZ’s new T1.

2023-02-20T20:03:32-08:00April 20th, 2013|
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