The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has announced the re-opening of Runway 06L/24R, Toronto Pearson International Airport’s second-busiest runway.
This follows an eight-month rehabilitation project that broke ground in April 2022.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said:It’s great to see the reopening of Runway 06L/24R after eight months of rehabilitation. As the busiest airport in Canada and one of the busiest in North America, the return of this runway at Pearson Airport will keep air passengers moving safely and smoothly in and out of the GTA. As the air sector continues to move through post-pandemic recovery, investments like this one in our transportation infrastructure will help us ensure that we maintain a vibrant and competitive Canadian air sector.
The 3-kilometre Runway 06L/24R was first built in the 1960s and needed to be fully reconstructed due to the wearing down of its concrete sub-structure.
This work has extended the life of the runway by 30 years and improves the safety of Pearson’s operations.
During construction, concrete from the original runway was crushed and re-used for the new runway.
To further promote sustainability, 1,800 incandescent lights were also upgraded to LED lights to help reduce Toronto Pearson’s carbon footprint and lower maintenance costs.
GTAA President and CEO Deborah Flint said:This runway is more than a marvel of modern engineering, as amazing as it is. It paves the way for the next 30 years of YYZ stimulating Canada’s economy by facilitating trade, foreign direct investment, tourism and business. This runway is more than a place where planes land and take off; it’s emblematic of a brighter future, both for Toronto Pearson and Canada through the global connections and economic activity it enables.
