PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (Billy Bishop Airport), today confirmed that US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) will be introduced at the downtown Toronto Airport.
An announcement by the federal Minister of Transport, The Honourable Omar Alghabra, at Billy Bishop Airport earlier this morning confirmed that funding for the capital expenditure associated with the preclearance facility will be provided by the federal government.
This important funding will enable the construction and implementation of the preclearance facility at Billy Bishop Airport which will be operational in 2025.
The facility will take between 18-24 months to complete and, once constructed, will provide Billy Bishop Airport passengers with the opportunity to clear customs in Toronto, rather than having to clear customs upon landing at US airports.
Preclearance will also open up new markets to the US, as travellers can now access smaller US airports that do not currently have US CBP, and therefore cannot accept travellers that have not been precleared.
There are currently 15 US CBP preclearance locations in six countries around the world including Canada. Eight Canadian airports currently offer preclearance, with Billy Bishop Airport becoming the ninth such facility.
Billy Bishop Airport is a convenient and valuable connection point between downtown Toronto and regional and hub markets in the US.
The addition of preclearance will encourage bilateral trade, facilitate convenient travel for business and leisure passengers, and reinforce national security.
The new facility will also offer next-generation travel technology, including facial recognition that is designed to make the process more efficient for travellers.
In today’s announcement, Minister Alghabra confirmed that the federal government will provide up to $30 million towards capital funding for planning, design and construction of the preclearance facility at Billy Bishop Airport.
The funding will assist PortsToronto and its partners in delivering this facility within the planned timeframe, ensuring the facility is operational in 2025.
The funding will not apply to operational costs of the preclearance facility.
