U.S. customs pre-clearance is coming to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), but travellers bound for destinations south of the border will have to wait until 2025 to take advantage of the expedited serviced at the downtown (island) airport.

PortsToronto, owner and operator of the airport, confirmed late last week that US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) will be introduced at the facility, with funding provided by the federal government, but that construction will take between 18 and 24 months to complete.

Once constructed, passengers will have 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, note airport officials.

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.

The new facility will offer next-generation travel technology, including facial recognition that is designed to make the process more efficient for travellers.

Transport Minister Omar 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, which is the ninth busiest airport in Canada and the fifth busiest serving US markets. The airport traditionally serves approximately 450,000 US passengers per year.

“The investment in the new United States preclearance facility for the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport will provide travellers in the Greater Toronto area more options when flying to the United States and will support the reduction of airport congestion,” said Alghabra. “Investing in this facility is great news for the airport and for Canadians.”