With Southern Ontario’s population expected to grow significantly over the next two decades, adding to over 6.3 million residents already living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the federal government is assessing the requirement for additional airport capacity in the region.

To that end, Transport Canada has issued a Request for Proposals to hire an aviation professional services contractor to help the department analyze current and future airport supply and demand in Canada’s most populous area. The contractor will assist Transport Canada officials in scoping the requirements for a comprehensive study of airport capacity in Southern Ontario, as well as a formal consultation process.

Following the scoping of work for the study, Transport Canada will post a second Request for Proposals to engage a third-party contractor to undertake the study as well as the consultation.

This analysis, as well as engagement with local stakeholders, the provincial and municipal governments, and Indigenous Peoples, is a first step towards making a final decision to address future airport capacity constraints in the region, and on the future of the Pickering Lands.

The government emphasizes, however, that there are no plans to proceed with building an airport on the Pickering Lands in the near term and the conclusions of the study could lead to a determination that an airport on the site is not required in the long term.

“As we continue to support the recovery of the air sector, there is a need to study and understand the potential impacts of a growing population on existing airport infrastructure,” said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra in announcing the RFP. “Today is the beginning of a process to analyze the future of the Southern Ontario airport system. This work will also bring us closer to making a final decision on the Pickering Lands.”