I did not see another thread on this so here we go. How does /n/ feel about downtown city airports? I know most world class cities such as London, New York, Washington DC, etc. Have proper downtown airports. It looks like Toronto is going to get one as well. Until now, the Billy Bishop island airport, so named after a Canadian WWI fighter pilot ace, could only accommodate turbo prop aircraft. The Province of Ontario is now looking to extend the runway to allow Jets. This would greatly expand the range of the airport, especially to far cities in western Canada and the southern United States. Potentially even western Europe. Is this a good move, or a short sighted volley?https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/03/09/ford-doubles-down-on-toronto-billy-bishop-expansion-plans-calls-island-residents-squatters/
>>2067443As much as I find airports hella awesome and think people are being bitches when they complain about noise (I've lived under the approach path of an airport for decades), let's be honest that this is a retarded fucking waste of taxpayer money that will have utterly marginal economic benefits.It was already being debated whether the airport should close entirely because it was non-economical for even Porter compared to relocating to Pearson. Only boomer nostalgia about never wanting anything in the city to change, ever, is driving this idea.And, like, I get it. I'm sad Downsview Airport closed and became an ugly reality-TV set, and then an even uglier "stadium". But life moves on.
LCY.
>>2067443Seems like a no-brainer and recently Ontario announced they'll be taking over the airport from Toronto, which would expedite the expansion. It has the benefit of not being encroached by private property that would need to be secured. I wonder what their plan is to handle additional parking and services for jets, that area looks crowded now. Ultimately they could close the smaller runway to free up space - it's only 750m/2400ft long.>>2067449General aviation is driving runway expansions to handle jets. Airports that can't or won't upgrade to handle them will get left out. Bishop is missing so much revenue by not being able to land them, especially given its proximity to downtown. The closure of Downsview makes the need and demand all the greater.
>>2067484>General aviation is driving runway expansions to handle jets. Airports that can't or won't upgrade to handle them will get left out. Bishop is missing so much revenue by not being able to land them, especially given its proximity to downtown. The closure of Downsview makes the need and demand all the greater.I'm circling back and I will concede that the economic forecasting has changed since I last reviewed the topic. I mostly recall the debate in the 2022 municipal election, and there was a strong argument at the time to not renew the agreement expiring in 2033 (especially with the cost of the legally mandated runway extension looming). But it looks like the academic research was revised in 2024 and paints a slightly better picture.And certain commitments to invest have already been made since 2022 so if we take those as sunk costs and not items up for re-debate, then this move is much more incremental progress than I pictured on hearing the breaking news.Still, Doug Ford remains a narcissistic moron and all his ideas deserve a skeptical reaction the moment they dribble from his mouth.
Most of the airports have developed away from city centers because planes and tall structures should avoid each other, and the ones that do remain are functionally obsolete or second-string at best.The closure of Meigs Field was a gross overreach of mayoral power but it was also not very useful as a major airport, either.
>>2067533You can just say it was a crime. I don't know when americans turned into such cucks that they're afraid to call elected officials criminals when they do criminal things in broad daylight
I miss TXL. Landing there was peak comfy.
LaGuardia is out in Queens and Spirit is a ghetto airline but ever since they took over the old Marine Air Terminal it feels like you’re in a small city airport with just a short walk to baggage and ground transportation. Go to Departures and it’s like a time portal to 1939 with art deco murals of air travel in the rotunda. Now if only they had a train to Manhattan.
>>2067443Idiotic. Should be DEEPLY outside the city with a rail that goes to center of a city. And enough of an apron that these morons arent tempted to do the most moronic thing: live around the airport....(i.e. dulles)
>>2067784>Should be DEEPLY outside the cityWhy
>>2067785Because the crashes are more kino
>>2067785Because it's anti-city infrastructure. How in the fuck are you gonna have a few square miles of non-resident space in the middle of a city?
>>2067796>How in the fuck are you gonna have a few square miles of non-resident space in the middle of a city?Looks like they were built a long time ago and over time urbanization encroached upon them. Anything else?
>>2067798Yep. Why do I need more? Not the thread topic anyway.
>>2067443I know this is heresy on a board like this but that entire airport should be close, demolished, and the whole island turned into a big park
>>2067796>How in the fuck are you gonna have a few square miles of non-resident space in the middle of a city?Easy peasy it wouldn't be the first time Americans bulldozed the bits the browns live in.Pic ex Docklands, now the new expensive part of town.
>>2068220>Because it's anti-city infrastructure.Cities grew and evolve over time, what would be considered a trendy urban neighborhood today would be considered the suburban fringe of the city a century ago. As air flight is over a century old, it would make sense that these airports were built far away from the urban core. Unlike other infrastructure like freeways and parking lots that pro-density proponents complain about, airports prevent the development of high-rise buildings.
>>2068220>>2067479Close the airport and build some housing there.
>>2067479>>2068220Keep the airport and build some housing elsewhere.
>>2068416
>>2067784Agreed. Also intercity rail would eliminate most of the <1 hour regional flights that clog up airports and overwhelm ATC./thread
