Toronto Pearson (YYZ) has reopened what is normally its second-busiest runway following an eight-month rehabilitation project that the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said wrapped up on time and on budget.
The 9,700-ft. runway, one of five at the airport, reopened on Nov. 18. The C$80 million ($59.4 million) rebuilding of Runway 6 Left/24 Right included full-depth surface replacement and lighting upgrades, from incandescent to LED bulbs, on both the runway and adjacent movement areas, including taxiways and holding bays.
YYZ and other large Canadian airports saw traffic surge in the third quarter as an easing of pandemic-related travel restrictions combined with an already-rising demand for travel. The situation led to major delays, most of which were caused by bottlenecks in terminal-area processes, such as customs and baggage handling. The runway's closure was not a factor in the congestion, airport officials said.
Aircraft movements are increasing at Toronto, but are still below 2019 levels. YYZ averaged 1,050 flights per day in the 2022 third quarter, nearly double 2021's comparable figure of 597 per day. In Q3 2019, the airport averaged 1,328 flights per day.
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