Toronto's Pearson International Airport has announced the start of a multi-billion dollar construction project aimed at modernizing and expanding the facility. The airport is launching the first phase of a long-term investment in facilities and terminals to improve its airfield and baggage systems, with the overall project expected to take a decade to complete.
The first phase, estimated to cost $3 billion, will include expanding the airfield, overhauling baggage carousels in Terminal 1 and 3, better lighting systems, expanded electric vehicle charging for maintenance vehicles, and a new high-speed taxiway to improve movement of airplanes between gates and runways. The renovation effort also includes a new airfield lighting control and management system designed to improve visibility and runway operations, along with expanded aircraft stands. Pearson is revamping its baggage infrastructure at Terminal 1, with 30 kilometres of conveyor systems being upgraded using new cameras and sensors intended to improve efficiency and detect issues earlier.
The revitalization plan aims to boost passenger numbers by more than a third, increasing annual capacity from roughly 45 million travellers to 65 million by the early 2030s. The airport will modernize and expand its airfield to approximately 2.2 million square metres, allowing it to handle an estimated 28,000 additional passengers per day. Other planned improvements include repaved runways, modernized retail spaces, and potential future terminal expansions.
Airport CEO Deborah Flint said the project will not create additional delays for passengers and framed the renovations as crucial to the passenger experience. "We know that in today's time, Pearson must be ambitious, we must be dynamic, and we must be transformative, right in step with where the Government of Canada is leading this country," Flint told reporters at a news conference on Monday. She noted that the high-speed taxiway will help reduce instances of pilots reporting early arrivals with no available gates.
Flint highlighted the airport's role in moving freight, noting that 45 per cent of cargo destined across Canada moves through Toronto Pearson. Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters at the news conference that Pearson is an important piece of infrastructure in the province and country.
The broader renovation effort is part of Pearson's Long-term Investment in Facilities and Terminals (LIFT) program, first announced in 2024. The renewal push comes as the federal government explores the possible privatization of Canada's airports amid growing infrastructure costs nationwide.
