Improved baggage system, new aircraft stands part of Pearson's $3B facelift
· Toronto Sun
Pearson International kicked off a $3-billion upgrade of its facilities on Monday that will see the baggage and airside support systems improved to accommodate more travellers at Canada’s busiest airport.
The upgrades, which include $142 million in federal infrastructure funding, are part of the first phase of a Long‑term Investment in Facilities and Terminals (LIFT) initiative, which officials tabbed as one of the “largest airport infrastructure programs in Canadian history.”
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The goal is to give Pearson the ability to host 65 million travellers per year with Monday’s groundbreaking marking a “pivotal moment” in delivering one of the “most efficient and digitally advanced airports in the industry,” president and CEO Deborah Flint said.
Flint told The Canadian Press that the airport’s passenger numbers have nearly doubled already over the last 22 years with 47.3 million visits being logged last year compared to 24.7 million in 2003.
‘State-of-the-art airfield’
“This is an investment that increases capacity for global trade with Canada,” said Flint, who added that the improvements will ensure a “state-of-the-art airfield” in Mississauga.
“Passengers can be more confident in their journeys through North America’s second most internationally connected airport.”
Officials said the upgrades will include “smarter” technology for the airfield lighting control and management systems; more electric vehicle charging, cleaner heating systems and other lower-emission improvements; and an expanded and renewed airfield including new aircraft stands and a high-speed taxiway to accommodate an extra 28,000 passenger per day.
Officials said improvements are being made as well to ensure a more reliable baggage system that includes new carousels in Terminal 1 and new cameras and early issue detection features to clear jams and minimize downtime.
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Improvements ‘just the beginning,’ officials say
“Modernized retail” options and possible terminal expansions are also being considered, The Canadian Press reported.
The improvements, airport officials said, will lay the “foundation for Toronto Pearson to be future‑ready, resilient, digitally enabled and built to deliver exceptional passenger experiences.
“Today’s announcement is just the beginning,” officials said. “This year, Toronto Pearson will continue to unveil additional investments and details, including plans for revitalizing and expanding facilities to accommodate long-term demand.”
Increased talk of privatization
The upgrades come at a time when the federal government is considering increased privatization of commercial airports , which are owned by the federal government and operated and leased by not-for-profit authorities.
Last month’s spring economic update indicated as such despite Ottawa collecting about $525 million in annual rent from those assets, The Canadian Press reported, citing numbers from the Canadian Airports Council.
Prime Minister Mark Carney also suggested last week in Mirabel, Que., that the federal government was looking at potential changes to the ownership model.
“We will look at options for the airports so they better serve Canadians and so that the capital that is tied up in those airports can be redeployed potentially in other ventures that will grow our economy,” he said.
Flint, however, told The Canadian Press on Monday that the current model has “many “strong suits” and that “when we think about how much the airport has grown in the 30 years since this model began, it’s pretty incredible.”
— With files from The Canadian Press.