ON TOUR: Billy Bishop - The Toronto version of London City Airport

London City Airport (LCY) is in many ways a copy of its equivalent at Toronto, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the position and title similar?  During LCY’s development three Brymon executives – Bill Bryce, Managing Director, Harry Gee, Chie Pilot and Malcolm Ginsberg, then the airline’s Public Relations Manager all visited the operation, at the time only accessible by ferry.  Philip Beck, Chairman of the airport developer John Mowem and Son, took a look also.  The de Havilland of Canada factory, home of the DHC Dash 7, with its extraordinary runway performance which created LCY, was just 15 miles to the North on the other side of the city.  

Rhys Hughes of Head for Points, and a proper airline nerd, was on a visit to the nearby Niagara Falls dropped by to take a look.

This is what he has to say.

“Although the opening of the Elizabeth Line has dented passenger numbers at London City Airport, it remains one of my favourites for its proximity to home, size and speedy departures and arrivals process. Just a few weeks ago I arrived just under one hour before departure and still had time to kill!

So it should be no surprise that I knew I wanted to try out Toronto’s own City Airport – named after Canadian WWI flying ace Billy Bishop – after my boyfriend and I accidentally ended up walking to the terminal building whilst exploring the city.

This tiny airport – first opened in 1934 and with the Canadian code YTZ – has many similarities to London City Airport and in some ways even improves on the experience.

For a start, Billy Bishop is closer to downtown Toronto, being located on an island on Lake Ontario. Whilst London City is in East London, Toronto City is slap bang in the middle: just five minutes’ drive from the CN Tower and Rogers Centre or an 18-minute walk, as I had previously done.

Until 2015, access to the airport was via a short ferry that crosses the 200-metre gap between the airport island and the rest of the city, but for the past decade a new pedestrian tunnel under Lake Ontario has made the connection even easier.

The walk is about as long (and possibly even shorter) than the connection between Heathrow T2 and the satellite terminal T2B, with plenty of moving walkways to speed you up.

At the end of it a long bank of escalators (about as long as those on the Lizzy line!) emerge into the small terminal building with a biplane suspended from the ceiling.

Another shorter set of escalators gets you up to departure level and the handful or so of check-in desks.

Just two airlines operate from Billy Bishop – Air Canada and Porter, a relatively new airline founded in 2006 initially with flights just from this airport. It has since expanded and now also serves Toronto Pearson Airport with domestic and short flights to the USA as well as Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica.  The flight time from Billy Bishop (YTZ) to Toronto International YYZ is officially just 5min 40 sec.

Bizarrely, the Porter app is not available in the UK app store (oversight or intentional, it is annoying either way) so we had to stop by the desks for our boarding passes.

The airport is divided into two halves: domestic and US departures. Security is not quite as slick as at London City as they do not have the convenient leave-everything-in-your-bag new scanners. It is even less convenient when you are stuck behind a family who have seemingly never flown before, but that is sod’s law!

Once cleared you head back down to ground level to the main departure area. This feels substantially more spacious than London City Airport, with a more open (and less elongated) floor plan. There is plenty of seating including lounge-style armchairs and work areas. It is definitely better than your average terminal gate area.

There is also, unlike at London City Airport, a small lounge: the new(ish) Air Canada Cafe, which is also open to Priority Pass holders. Despite the terminal being busy this was very quiet and offered a nice space to relax, although the food offering is basic (to be expected, given the average length of flights from Billy Bishop.)

Once it is time to board a small announcement is made and boarding begins.

Jet aircraft are not allowed at Billy Bishop so both airlines operate fleets of Dash 8-400 propeller planes to comply with noise regulations. As a result, Billy Bishop has a number of specialised ground-level covered gates that I have not seen anywhere else and are presumably a godsend in winter.

It does mean you do not get a good view of the airfield during boarding though ….

A special trolley at the side of the aircraft is available for any larger bags, including trolley bags, which will not fit into the small overhead bins of the Dash 8-400. These are popped in the hold and then unloaded at the gate at your destination.

Onboard, it is 2+2 seating in what Porter calls ‘Economy Elevated’. There is no Business Class here, just something called ‘Porter Reserve’ which comes bundled with priority check-in, two checked bags, front row seats as well as (on longer flights) a meal and navy leather upholstery.  As with all turboprops the back of the aircraft is quiet, and place to sit.

With just 78 seats boarding is quickly complete.

The cabin is optimised for short flights, so do not expect oodles of comfort. The seats are relatively bare, as you can see from the back of the fold-out tables. Everyone gets free beer, wine and soft drinks and ‘premium snacks’.

It is perfectly fine for an hour or hour and a half’s flight but I would not want to fly it much further than that. My flight to Montreal was about an hour, which is no time at all by the time you are at cruising altitude, had a drink and a snack and then touched back down.

I am almost forgetting the most spectacular part of the experience: take off. If you are lucky to be sitting on the correct side of the aircraft (usually left, as I believe take-offs usually occur in an Easterly direction) then you are rewarded with unparalleled views of the CN Tower and Downtown Toronto.

It truly is the best view in the city!

Once seatbelt signs are off the cabin crew start the drinks service. If you are sat in Porter Reserve that includes a choice of ‘premium snacks’ from roasted nuts to crisps and more. Sadly there is no sparkling wine on board so standard will have to do. It is served in real glassware, at least in Reserve.

And that is it. Of course, there is no immigration for domestic flights within Canada so it is a quick exit from the airport.

Flying from Toronto City Airport is an avgeek’s dream. Even if you are not an avgeek it is worthwhile just for the spectacular views of the city which you cannot get short of chartering a helicopter.

Porter’s ‘elevated economy’ service is also tantalising. With 2+2 aircraft operating from such small airports there really is not much to distinguish Business Class and Economy. Serving all customers complimentary drinks in real glassware is a big step up from most economy experiences.

So, if you find yourself in Toronto …. consider booking yourself a flight to leave the city – at least for a few days – so you can enjoy the views.”

Some reflections on Billy Bishop  

It is essentially a one airline (Porter) operation with the token Air Canada flight.  No other airline is going to invest with a fleet of turboprops to compete, the passenger numbers reaching 2.8m in 2018 and now, after Covid, gradually climbing, with the 2024 throughput of just over 2m.  Looking forward one cannot see much growth with jets barred.

The comparisons with LCY are inevitable. Same runway length (1200m) and the tantalising Airbus A320 cleo possibility.

At London City the 2019 figures were 5.1m and in 2024 just under 4m.  British Airways dominate the airport (50%) with just a token response from KLM, and the Lufthansa Group (LH).  LH is in the process of bringing all its carriers under one umbrella and if this includes the London City marketing it could strengthen its position at the airport.  The alternative is another British airline, but that did not work out in the late 1980s with London City Airways (part of BMA) failing in competition with Brymon, later to be taken under the wing of British Airways.  Whether the Airbus A320 Cleo can be licenced for the airport remains to be seen, but is very unlikely with the suggested 180 passengers.  Anything less brings it within the range of the Airbus A220 and Embraer 195. 

www.headforpoints.com

www.billybishopairport.com

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