Pearson International Airport departures area
Kelly Jackson: What is the Pearson Economic Zone and why is it important to Toronto and the rest of Canada?
Deborah Flint: "The Pearson Economic Zone is a powerhouse of the Canadian economy. It’s a large swath of valuable commercial and industrial land around the airport that contains 18,000 businesses and 500,000 jobs. That’s 1 in 7 of all jobs in the Greater Toronto Area. It’s a dynamic zone that encompasses a variety of different industries like logistics, pharmaceuticals, transportation and the biggest concentration of manufacturing in North America including Bombardier’s new business jet assembly plant at Pearson, which is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world.
Luxury retail store at Pearson International Airport
Many of these businesses rely on the global connectivity Pearson provides and the opportunity for multi-modal shipping. Our flight paths are Canada’s trade corridors in the sky – and they are the quickest way for Canada to adjust to new patterns of travel and trade. The Pearson Economic zone sits at the intersection of multiple 400-series highways, rail lines, and the largest population centre in the country. This enhances opportunities for e-commerce and other sectors to reliably deliver high-value goods anywhere in the world, while having access to top talent. At this time of uncertainty, the Economic Zone is a key strength for Canada and, as an airport, we’re working closely with our stakeholders to maximize our positive impact on it."
The train station at Pearson International Airport for the UP Express train
KJ: The GTAA is investing in a multi-billion-dollar capital plan called LIFT (Long-term Investment in Facilities and Terminals). What will LIFT ultimately deliver for travellers flying in and out of Canada's biggest and busiest airport?
DF: "LIFT is our plan to grow and future-proof the airport to meet anticipated growth in travel demand and rapidly rising passenger expectations. We’re anticipating 65 million passengers annually by the mid-2030s, up from 46.8 million last year. Our LIFT plans include substantial new terminal space to handle passenger growth, airfield upgrades, revitalization of the existing terminals. All of this will be underpinned with digitization and sustainability as core principles.
When complete, passengers will enjoy a modern, spacious airport with intuitive design, digital technologies that make the journey from curb to gate as seamless as possible, and a choice of world-class amenities to suit their personal tastes. And all of this in buildings that are designed with sustainability and flexibility for future needs in mind."
KJ: Last month, you delivered a 'state of the airport' address at the Empire Club of Canada, and you talked a lot about how Pearson's modernization will create a stronger sense of welcome for visitors to Toronto and Canada. Can you share more about those plans?
DF: "Pearson is Canada’s front door. We handle 60% of the country’s international air passengers and we’re a crucial gateway for the $100-billion tourism economy. As a global hub airport our brand is linked with that of Canada and our region – for many people YYZ means Toronto. LIFT will enable us to elevate that brand with facilities that reflect the modern, dynamic, future-facing Canada. We’re striving to create a sense of place – through our building design, materials, art, amenities and more – that gives visitors the best possible welcome to Canada.
We also plan to bring our spaces to life through more in-terminal activations. For Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, we greeted fans with a large-scale digital display that responded to their dance moves. It was enormous fun and a huge hit with passengers. Our vision is to bring the joy back to travel, and creating more moments like these is one of the ways we will do that."
