Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Regional airport on Toronto Islands, Canada
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport occupies a flat strip of the Toronto Islands between two bodies of water, with two grey asphalt runways crossing the site diagonally and grass between them. A concrete apron holds small white propeller aircraft and three white passenger planes beside low white terminal buildings with flat roofs. A white boxy service vehicle stands on the tarmac, where patches of snow and ice remain.
The first airport proposal came in June 1929 from the Toronto Harbour Commission, which planned an air harbour for seaplanes. The commission completed the airport in 1939 as Port George VI Island Airport. The nearby Malton Airport, now Toronto Pearson, took over as Toronto's main passenger hub, leaving the island field to general and military aviation.
The airport bears the name of Canadian World War I flying ace Billy Bishop, who received the Victoria Cross for his military accomplishments.
The airport operates from 6:45 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., except for MEDEVAC and emergency flights. A free pedestrian tunnel at the foot of Eireann Quay links the mainland to the terminal, with moving sidewalks and elevators; a ferry crosses every 15 minutes from 5:15 a.m. to midnight. A free shuttle runs from York and Front Streets.
The airport honors Canadian World War I fighter pilot Billy Bishop, who earned the Victoria Cross for his service. Alongside the pedestrian tunnel, a ferry also runs, making this one of the few airports worldwide with two ways to cross water.
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