Toronto Pearson celebrates re-opening of runway

TORONTO — The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport, today announced the re-opening of Runway 06L/24R, the airport’s second-busiest runway, after an eight-month rehabilitation.

The project is one of the largest in Pearson’s history. Planning began more than a year and a half ago, to ensure safety and minimal disruption for passengers and nearby communities.

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra joined GTAA President and CEO Deborah Flint, along with local elected officials, the many GTAA teams responsible for the rehabilitation, and representatives from Dufferin Construction and Avia NG for a ribbon-cutting this morning to mark the re-opening.

“It’s great to see the reopening of Runway 06L/24R after eight months of rehabilitation,” said Minister Alghabra. “As the busiest airport in Canada and one of the busiest in North America, the return of this runway at Pearson Airport will keep air passengers moving safely and smoothly in and out of the GTA. As the air sector continues to move through post-pandemic recovery, investments like this one in our transportation infrastructure will help us ensure that we maintain a vibrant and competitive Canadian air sector.”

Flint added: “This runway is more than a marvel of modern engineering, as amazing as it is. It paves the way for the next 30 years of YYZ stimulating Canada’s economy by facilitating trade, foreign direct investment, tourism and business. This runway is more than a place where planes land and take off; it’s emblematic of a brighter future, both for Toronto Pearson and Canada through the global connections and economic activity it enables.

Here’s a quick look at the work done on Runway 06L/24R …

First built in the 1960s, the 3-km runway needed to be fully reconstructed due to the wearing down of its concrete substructure as a result of weather, use and time.
This project extends the life of the runway by 30 years and enhances the safety of Pearson’s operations.
The work lasted eight months, from April to November 2022, but planning for this project, one of the largest in Pearson’s history, began over a year-and-a-half ago.
Concrete from the original runway was crushed and reused for the new runway, and upgrading 1,800 incandescent lights to LED lights as part of this project will help reduce Pearson’s carbon footprint and lower maintenance costs. These considerations and more tie in with Pearson’s commitment to environmental sustainability.