Toronto Pearson Launches Multi-Billion-Dollar Airport Infrastructure Program

Toronto Pearson International Airport has launched Pearson LIFT (Long–term Investment in Facilities and Terminals), one of the largest airport infrastructure programs in Canadian history. 

Pearson LIFT is a phased, multi-billion-dollar program to modernize and expand the facility, renewing infrastructure, advancing technology–driven operations, revitalizing and expanding to support the airport’s growth for the next decade and beyond.

The first major program under Pearson LIFT kicked off with a ceremonial groundbreaking attended by senior government officials, as well as airport partners and construction teams.

The initial phase includes a $3-billion investment in airside and baggage systems, unlocking space for millions more passengers and delivering a smoother, faster and more reliable journey from curb to gate, including:

Smarter airfield technology: A new airfield lighting control and management system will enhance visibility and guidance in support of an intelligent network that controls and responds to movement across the runways and taxiways. This state of-the-art system will set a foundation to enable future navigation and guidance systems that make smoother and more efficient aircraft movements on the ground.  

Greener airport operations: Expanded electric vehicle charging, cleaner heating systems and energy network upgrades to support lower-emission operations as the airport grows.

More reliable baggage handling: Investments across approximately 30 kilometres of baggage infrastructure including new baggage carousels in Terminal 1, as well as new cameras and sensors for early issue detection for better visibility and clearing jams to minimize down time.

More space for growing operations: An expanded and renewed 2.2–million square metre airfield — equivalent to more than 1,000 NHL–size hockey rinks — including new aircraft stands and a high–speed taxiway to improve movement between gates and runways, supporting up to 28,000 additional passengers per day.

Airport officials say this work lays the foundation for Toronto Pearson to be future–ready, resilient, digitally enabled and built to deliver exceptional passenger experiences.

“Today marks a pivotal moment, the culmination of three years of planning, analysis, competitive procurement and collaboration with industry partners and air carriers to deliver a state–of–the–art airfield that will make Toronto Pearson one of the most efficient and digitally-advanced airports in the industry,” said Deborah Flint, President and CEO of Toronto Pearson. 

“This is an investment that increases capacity for global trade with Canada. Passengers can be more confident in their journeys through North America’s 2nd most internationally-connected airport.”

Enabled by Pearson LIFT, Toronto Pearson says it can grow to serve 65 million passengers a year, creating 16,000 new jobs at the airport, supporting more than 160,000 jobs nationwide, contributing $30 billion to the economy and generating more than $10-billion annually in spending with Canadian suppliers, based on independent analysis.