If you are scheduled to travel with Air India or are picking up an Air India passenger at Toronto Pearson International Airport on or after May 16, 2008, please be advised that the airline will operate from Terminal 1 effective that date. Air India will move its operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 to join its future Star Alliance partners. Star Alliance is the largest airline network in the world, offering nearly 18,000 daily flights and serving more than 950 destinations in 160 countries. Air India is expected to be a full Star Alliance member by February 1, 2009.

With more than 31 million people travelling through Toronto Pearson every year, the GTAA wants to make sure it’s passengers are able to take advantage of all the airport has to offer. As a result, the GTAA has a new online service that will allow travellers to find the most efficient way through the terminal building while enjoying the many services offered along the way. Before arriving at the airport, passengers will now be able to view the GTAA’s Airport Wayfinder video that provides the step by step route that passengers will take travelling through Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson.

In early May, Pacific Western unveiled a fleet of luxury green motor coaches for their Airport Express service. Linking Toronto Pearson International Airport to nine locations in the downtown Toronto core, the coaches offer a convenient, economical and green way to get to and from the airport. At full occupancy, the fully accessible coaches take up to 54 passenger vehicles off the road, reducing each passenger’s CO2 emissions by up to 85 per cent and proving to be 475 per cent more energy efficient than a hybrid car.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) held its annual public meeting on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. The meeting reviewed the operational, economic and environmental successes accomplished throughout 2007 as well as the challenges that were overcome. The meeting also gave a look ahead at 2008 and served as an inviting forum for those in attendance to pose questions to the GTAA’s executive team. Toby Lennox, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications, first introduced Warren Hurren, Chairman of the Board, to review the past year.

As of May 2, this is how Toronto Pearson passengers will be greeted aboard their Icelandair flight bound for Reykjavik. Iceland’s national carrier began service from Toronto Pearson’s Terminal 1 on May 2, 2008. This decision was made after a new open skies agreement was reached in July 2007 between Iceland and Canada, which allows airlines of both countries to operate flights between any city in Canada and Iceland without restrictions on the number of flights.

As of May 1, passengers can fly direct between Toronto and Dusseldorf, Germany. Lufthansa, one of the world’s largest air carriers, is offering service to Dusseldorf six times a week, allowing passengers the convenience of 35-minute connections to more than 50 popular European destinations including Barcelona, Budapest, Moscow, Munich, Paris and many others. “I am always excited to be a part of milestones such as this,” said GTAA President and CEO Lloyd McCoomb at a welcome event for the new route.

On April 26, 2008, GO Transit introduced Route 40, providing travellers and airport employees alike with a convenient way of reaching the heart of both Mississauga and Richmond Hill. Westbound from the airport, GO Bus service between Toronto Pearson and the GO Bus Terminal located at the Square One shopping centre operates every 30 minutes for a total of 86 trips daily. This route also affords passengers easy connections to Mississauga Transit at Square One.

Toronto Pearson International Airport has joined the global aviation industry in a declaration on climate change that was signed by industry leaders at the Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. More than 300 of the world’s airports have also signed the declaration.

On Friday, April 18, grade five students from Dunrankin Drive Public School in Malton put on their gloves and helped the GTAA perform a 20-Minute Makeover on Toronto Pearson. Joining other companies, schools and residents, the GTAA was a proud participant in the GTA-wide initiative. The students pitched in to help clean up a portion of land that will be used for a future walking and cycling trail, which will run through the airport property.

On Saturday, June 21, 2008, the GTAA will be hosting a new and very exciting event at the airport – a Runway Run! Come out to the airport to run or walk along Runway 06R-24L. Raise money for the William Osler Health Centre’s Emergency Department at Etobicoke General Hospital, and have a lot of fun. There will be two events: a 5 km timed run, and a 2 km family run/walk. And yes, the runway will be closed for this event.

In partnership with the Medtronic Foundation, the GTAA launched its new Heart Cart program at Toronto Pearson International Airport on April 9, 2008. The program is the largest public access defibrillation program of its kind in Canada and is designed to provide public awareness regarding the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in the airport community.

This past Saturday, March 29, the GTAA joined millions of others across the globe to reduce energy consumption in support of Earth Hour–-an event created to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming. In preparing for Earth Hour, the GTAA found permanent ways to reduce its energy use on a daily basis.

If you are scheduled to travel on US Airways or are coming to Toronto Pearson Airport to pick up a US Airways passenger on or after March 29, 2008, please be advised that as of that date, the airline will be relocating to Terminal 1. US Airways will move all its operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 to join its Star Alliance partners. Star Alliance is the largest airline network in the world, offering 17,000 daily flights and serving more than 900 destinations in 160 countries.

By recently adding its name to a list of more than 4,000 businesses around the world, the GTAA became the first airport in North America to confirm its participation in Earth Hour; an event created to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming. Travellers passing through the airport today from 8-9 p.m. will experience a noticeable difference in the lighting levels at both terminals as we join the world for Earth Hour 2008.

Many travellers will be attempting to get a jumpstart on their winter break this Friday. The GTAA anticipates Friday, March 7 to be the busiest travel day leading into the March Break. Passenger traffic is expected to increase by 14 per cent compared to a typical day, with more than 100,000 people passing through Toronto Pearson International Airport.

To celebrate Icelandair’s upcoming service from Toronto, a gaggle of staff and actors dressed as swans have descended on Toronto Pearson International Airport. The swans, based in Terminal 1 from March 3–9 between noon and 6 p.m., will offer airport customers a chance to win a deluxe trip to Iceland on Icelandair’s inaugural flight, May 2, 2008.

Toronto Pearson is taking on a new look as HSBC Bank Canada, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Clear Channel Outdoor unveil one of the world’s most extensive airport branding campaigns. The agreement between the GTAA, Clear Channel Outdoor and HSBC Bank Canada will give the bank branding rights for the exterior and interior surfaces of 86 gates and 91 jet bridges located at both Terminal 1 and 3 at Toronto Pearson.

Studies have shown that approximately 65,000 vehicle trips are made every day to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is committed to improving the public transit offering to make getting to and from the Airport as easy and environmentally friendly as possible.

Inevitably, airport infrastructure is big, and it takes long lead times to plan and construct. With the opening of the International Pier in Terminal 1 in January 2007, much of the work set out in the Airport’s 1999 Master Plan – which covered the timeframe 2000 to 2020 – now is complete. It was important, therefore, for the GTAA to update and produce a new master plan that looks ahead to 2030.

Toronto Pearson celebrated another milestone on Monday, January 28. At 10:25 a.m., a CanJet 737 aircraft destined for St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport was deiced at the Central Deicing Facility (CDF), becoming the 100,000th aircraft to be deiced in the facility’s 10 years of operation.

The installation of two new Express Moving Walkways (EMW), which began in mid-September of 2006, is now completed. Over the next few months, they will be put through a rigorous testing and commissioning process. These high-speed walkways, measuring 280 metres in length, will provide international outbound and inbound passengers a speedier third option of getting to and from their gates. They can walk, take a series of normal speed moving walkways, and once all the testing is completed, they will also be able to take the new EMWs.

Toby Lennox, GTAA Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications, appeared this week before the Honourable Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance, as part of the 2008 Ontario budget discussion. Mr. Lennox highlighted how the GTAA can work with the Province of Ontario to better leverage Toronto Pearson in order to generate new economic development opportunities and boost tourism.

New WestJet services will give Toronto travellers even more options for Canadian destinations. The new routes are scheduled to begin on May 18 and will include daily flights from Toronto to Regina, Saskatoon, Quebec City, and Abbotsford. The Quebec City announcement was made to coincide with the celebration of the Quebec captial's 400th anniversary, and marks WestJet's 27th destination within Canada, connecting WestJet to more than 25 million Canadians.

Only two weeks into 2008 and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) welcomed Toronto Pearson’s one millionth passenger. On January 14, 2008, Dr. Weiping Huang of Ancaster arrived on Air Canada flight 032 from Beijing at 2:45 p.m. in Terminal 1. As the one millionth passenger of the year, Dr. Huang was given one free year of valet parking service at Toronto Pearson as well as 10 complimentary parking day passes. Dr. Huang will now be able to simply pull up to the curb at Terminal 1 and leave his vehicle with parking attendants.

Today, with Terminal 1 fully activated and operational, the GTAA is considered a world leader in airport facility activation and its Airport Development Program is a world-renowned example of best practices and innovation. With these successes, the Facility Activation Team has moved on to a new challenge: a consultancy service to share the best practices, innovation, and in-depth knowledge it has gained rebuilding a major international airport while maintaining full operations without shutting down for a day.

Over the past few weeks, the GTA has seen it all. Snow, rain, freezing rain, high winds and low temperatures have affected much of the country. Mother Nature has begun to show her true colours and has left most to wonder if they are properly prepared for the upcoming winter.

With many people reuniting with family and friends over the holiday season, the airport is preparing for one of the busiest weekends of the year at Toronto Pearson. The airport is expecting to see about 100,000 passengers travel through its doors on both Friday, December 21, and Saturday, December 22. On an average day, about 85,000 passengers travel through Toronto Pearson.

The GTAA issued the following comments regarding the Transportation Safety Board’s (TSB) report on the overrun of Flight 358, which landed at Toronto Pearson on August 2, 2005, and subsequently overran Runway 24L where a fire ensued. There were no fatalities in the accident.

The GTAA and Peel Regional Police unveiled the new T3 Motion Electric Vehicles on Tuesday, November 20, 2007, at Toronto Pearson.

As the holiday season approaches and to-do lists begin to grow, free time becomes a rarity. During this busy season, recognizing ways in which people can save time and fly smart can prove valuable. One relatively new program aimed at helping travellers in a time crunch speed up their travels is NEXUS, and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has just added another reason to take advantage of the many benefits offered by the program. On December 1, 2007, the NEXUS application fee will be reduced to C$50 from its current rate of C$80.

Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) employees should be very proud of their achievements in this year’s United Way Campaign. At the close of the campaign, more than 200% of the target, or $81,000, was achieved. This is amazing. Although the campaign has come to a close at the GTAA, the United Way of Peel Region’s campaign confidently marches on.

One of the world’s most successful and fastest growing international airlines began service at Toronto Pearson on October 29th, 2007. Emirates has selected the Toronto to Dubai route as their first gateway in Canada. “Responding to market demand, the new route will provide a first direct link between Canada’s largest city and Dubai, providing also convenient, ongoing access to the Middle East, Africa and the South Asian Subcontinent,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

In a joint partnership between Air Canada and the GTAA, a pilot project is underway aimed at speeding up check-in for passengers on the run at Terminal 1. The self service baggage tagging system is a quick and convenient way for domestic customers to check-in at an electronic kiosk as opposed to waiting in line.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is pleased to announce a reduction in fees charged to airlines for all services as of January 1, 2008. Landing fees will be reduced by 3.1% and terminal charges will be reduced by 4.7%.

With the City of Mississauga, Heritage Mississauga, and the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) was honoured to host the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Avro Arrow at Terminal 1. This event commemorated the day when the first Avro Arrow aircraft rolled off the Malton production line in 1957.

If you’ve visited the terminals lately and wondered why a lot of staff are in jeans, it’s not a new uniform; it’s part of an exciting fundraising campaign organized by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). On September 15th, the United Way of Peel Region launched its 2007 “United We Are Stronger” campaign, revealing their goal of $14 million to be achieved through donations raised through numerous national events. The GTAA has designed an employee campaign determined to surpass last year’s contribution total of $36,700. With events such as “Denim Days”, a “Lost and Found Silent Auction” and biweekly 50/50 draws, the GTAA hopes to raise $40,000 for the United Way.

On Monday, September 17, the annual Pearson Airport Firefighters Charity Golf Tournament was held at the Burlington Springs Golf Club. Through sponsorships and raffles, more than $4,400 was raised, with proceeds going to the Children’s Wish Foundation—a charity long supported by GTAA Emergency Services.

The city of Toronto was abuzz recently with the glitz and glamour that comes with hosting the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival. Star spotting was a favourite pastime for many festival goers as celebrities from all movie genres descended upon the city, but this isn’t the only time that Hollywood headliners visit our great town.

On Sept. 5th, the GTAA will proudly welcome the inaugural flight of Jet Airways, one of India’s premier airlines, into Toronto Pearson’s Terminal 1.

Toronto Pearson International Airport is privileged once again to be part of the Labour Day tradition known as the Canadian International Air Show (CIAS). Currently in its 58th year, this year’s show will be one to remember; celebrating the beauty of flight with the sounds of pure power from fighter jets to the tranquility of the glider. The three hour show will include both military and civilian acts.

Shortly after 4 p.m. on August 14, 2003, the lights went out across Ontario and many Northeastern and Midwestern States during what turned out to be one of the most widespread blackouts in history. Along with the rest of the province, Toronto Pearson International Airport was also without power from the Provincial grid. But even before the blackout, the GTAA had realized that relying on the power grid for uninterrupted service was not in the best interests of Ontario businesses and passengers that rely on Toronto Pearson.

Since the closure of Terminal 2 in January of this year, there have been many changes to the landscape of Toronto Pearson. With the terminal closed and in the process of being demolished, the roads and bridges that lead to Terminal 2 were no longer necessary.

Airports Council International (ACI) has released the 2006 numbers on passenger and cargo statistics for world airports. Passenger activity at Toronto Pearson in 2006 was up 3.5% from 2005, processing 31 million passengers, placing it at number 29 in the world ranking.

In addition to the “hack” that took place on July 5 that saw two Gyr/Saker hybrid falcons join the GTAA, two more falcons of the same breed were welcomed into its wildlife management program at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday, July 12. Falcons are employed at Toronto Pearson to act as a deterrent to other birds that either live at or transit through airport property.

On Monday, July 9, the media was invited to a sneak preview of GTAA’s new Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI). On Saturday, July 14, the FESTI will open its doors to the public. Special events are planned throughout the day, including a charity BBQ with proceeds going to the Children’s Wish Foundation.

On Friday, June 15th, Team GTAA participated in the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life in Milton, Ontario. The eight member team from Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Business Development departments raised $1,400 for the cause.

More than two dozen GTAA employees recently stepped out of their regular work environment, lathering on sunscreen and arming themselves with a supply of garbage bags, to be a part of the annual Spring Creek cleanup. This yearly activity organized by the GTAA’s Environment department allows employees to take a hands on role in the beautification of the airport while making a positive contribution to the natural environment.

The Flagship Detroit, an American Airlines (AA) DC-3 is currently stationed at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The Flagship Detroit is the sister aircraft to the first international aircraft that landed at Malton Airport nearly seventy years ago. That DC-3 was an American Airlines flight arriving from Buffalo, New York.

A GTAA team recently participated in the 23rd annual World Partnership Walk which took place in eight Canadian cities on Sunday, May 27th. The walk is a fundraiser to help fight global poverty. The largest national event of its kind in Canada, the Walk this year is estimated to have raised a record amount and to have brought out more walkers than ever. The total of funds raised will be announced shortly.

The GTAA hosted its annual public meeting on Wednesday, May 9, 2007. The Board of Directors and GTAA senior staff were on hand to answer questions from the public and to present an overview of 2006 developments at the airport. Steve Shaw, Vice President, Corporate Affairs first introduced Warren Hurren, Chairman of the Board, to review 2006 and to announce the appointment of two new

Mr. Warren Hurren, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (“GTAA”) today announced the appointment of Dr. Lloyd A. McCoomb as President and Chief Executive Officer effective February 1, 2007.

In July, the Canadian government implemented an action plan to evacuate thousands of Canadians either residing or vacationing in Lebanon. The GTAA was put on notice to expect the influx and implemented an action plan of their own to ensure a smooth arrival for many weary travellers. Within 24 hours of the first inbound flight carrying Lebanese evacuees, the GTAA had mobilized its resources to prepare for the potential receipt of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of people fleeing that country.

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, along with the Honourable Stockwell Day,Minister of Public Safety, recently announced changes to the aviation security measures put in place on August 10, 2006 that will allow passengers to bring limited quantities of liquids, gels and aerosols with them when they travel, while maintaining a heightened level of security.

In 2005, nearly 410,000 aircraft movements transported people and goods to and from Toronto. And while mainstream commercial aviation represents most of that figure, another sector of operations is making a comeback thanks to the redevelopment of existing infrastructure and a commitment from key leaders in the industry.

Towards the beginning of September, the GTAA was informed by The Institute of Transport Management (ITM) that Toronto Pearson had been awarded the title of “Best Global Airport 2006.”