Toronto Airport Arrivals (YYZ)

Toronto Pearson Airport is an important gateway for millions of passengers every year, and is the largest airport in Canada. It is referred to by its official IATA code of YYZ, and is also known as the Lester B. Pearson International Airport, in honour of the late Canadian Prime Minister and Noble Peace Prize winner, Lester Bowles Pearson. Some simply refer to the airport as the Pearson Airport. The airport is served by a large number of airline carriers, arriving from various locations around the world, and has extensive facilities available within the arrival halls. Passengers on Toronto Pearson Airport arrival flights will also have access to a variety of ground transport options.

Toronto Pearson Airport is rated as the 23rd busiest airport in the world for international passenger traffic, and is Canada’s most important airport. Approximately 31.9 million passengers passed through it in 2010, and in 2011, over 33 million passengers made use of the airport. The airport handles approximately 86,000 passengers on over one thousand flights per day. It is considered to be the largest hub for Air Canada, and therefore an important Star Alliance hub airport, and is also a hub for the airline carriers of Air Canada Express, Air Transat, CanJet (a charter airline company), Sunwing Airlines and WestJet. Further airline companies at Toronto Airport include Air France, Air India, British Airways, Lufthansa, Alitalia, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, EVA Air, ,Korean Air, KLM, Icelandair and United Airlines. Flights arrive at Toronto Airport from all over the world, including the destinations of London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Hong Kong, New York, Chicago, Birmingham, Dublin, Houston and Dallas.

Passengers arriving at Toronto Airport will find that there are two large terminal buildings, named as Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. The terminal of arrival will depend on the airline company in use, for example, the majority of Star Alliance airline carriers use Terminal 1, and Terminal 3 is used by Oneworld and SkyTeam airline carriers. Both terminals support flights by other airlines as well. Terminal 1 is the larger of the two, and is actually rated as the eleventh largest airport terminal in the world, with a total surface area of 464,000 square metres. The terminals of the airport support domestic and international arrivals, and transfers between them can be made by the Link Train. The journey is just over a minute, and may be required for connecting passengers who are departing from a different terminal. Both terminals support facilities for United States border preclearance procedures. For passengers who are expecting longer layovers, there are a number of hotels just a short distance away, including the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, which is at Terminal 3.

Airport services within the terminal buildings include a large variety of shops, bars and restaurants, and there are currency exchange facilities available. There are free WiFi connections at various points in both terminals, lost and found offices and an Aviation Interfaith Ministry. The airport is completely accessible to disabled passengers, as there are elevators to each level, suitable toilet facilities and wheelchairs can be requested. It is recommended to reserve a wheelchair at least twenty-four hours prior to your departure to Toronto Airport, and if further assistance is needed with arrival procedures, the airline company concerned should be contacted before forty-eight hours of your departure to Toronto. The Link Train between the terminals and to the airport long-term car parks are also accessible to disabled passengers.

Arriving passengers will find a number of ground transport options available. A large number of buses serve the airport, and there is a taxi rank outside each terminal’s arrival area. The Toronto Airport Express is one of the most popular buses to take for journeys to Downtown Toronto, and is available at regular intervals throughout the day, seven days a week. It connects the airport with many popular areas in the city, including the business district and train stations. Buses to further locations are also available, by various bus companies, for example, Greyhound Canada, Airways Transit, Grey-Bruce Airbus and Niagara Airbus. Some of their destinations include areas in the Greater Niagara Region, St. Catharines, London, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Milton, Ajax and Oshawa. Taxis can take arriving passenger to all near and far destinations, and are available by advanced reservation as well. There is currently no train station at Toronto Airport, but construction has begun for a rail connection that is aimed for completion by the 2015 Pan American Games.

Although many arriving passenger travel by bus and taxi, rented cars from the Toronto Pearson Airport car hire companies are popular options for transport as well. The car rental companies of the airport include Hertz, Avis, National, Alamo, Thrifty, Europcar and Budget, and they have offices for each terminal in the nearby parking garages. The road network from the airport leads to all areas in Toronto, and to cities further afield. Although Toronto is large, most areas are easily driven by motor car, as the roads are all laid out in a grid-shaped pattern. Parking is available at various locations as well. The tourist attractions of the city include the magnificent CN Tower, the Casa Loma, which is a truly unique castle in the centre of the city, and the New City Hall which becomes an outdoor ice-skating rink in the winter. Ontario Place is a summer theme park attraction alongside Lake Ontario, and nearby is the Toronto Zoo, considered as one of the best zoos in the world. The city of Toronto covers an area of approximately 245 square miles, or 635 square kilometres, and has a population of about 2.6 million in the city and 5.3 million in its metropolitan area.

Toronto Airport is an excellent arrival point for visitors coming to see the many attractions of the city, as well as for business professionals, and is considered to be efficient in its operations. Live Toronto Pearson Airport arrival schedules can be found on various online websites, and for further information, the airport can be contacted at 416-247-7678, or 1-866-207-1690.