A Billy Bishop airport transfer with TorontoAirportTransfer.services drops you at, or collects you from, the airport's mainland terminal at 2 Eireann Quay, at the foot of Bathurst Street. From there you walk the pedestrian tunnel or ride the 90-second ferry to the island terminal. Pearson to Billy Bishop is $145–175 in a sedan, all-in, plus HST.
Billy Bishop airport transfer: how it works
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) is on the western tip of the Toronto Islands, across a narrow channel from the downtown waterfront. Cars do not drive to the terminal building on the island in normal service; ground transportation ends at the mainland side on Eireann Quay, where the pedestrian tunnel pavilion and the ferry terminal sit side by side. So a Billy Bishop airport transfer has two parts: our chauffeur gets you to or from the Eireann Quay curb, and you cross the channel on foot through the tunnel or on the short ferry. The fixed fare covers the car, chauffeur, fuel, fees and gratuity, with HST added, and it does not change if the Gardiner is jammed. For the service in brief, see Billy Bishop airport transfer; this page is the detailed airport guide.
Where Billy Bishop is and why it is so close
The mainland terminal is at 2 Eireann Quay, at the foot of Bathurst Street, south of Queens Quay and a short distance west of the Rogers Centre and CN Tower area. From most downtown hotels between Front Street and the lake, the drive is 5–15 minutes outside rush hour. From the Financial District it is usually 10–15 minutes; from Yorkville or the Annex 15–25. That proximity is the whole appeal of YTZ: no highway, short security lines and a walk-on feel. The catch is that the approach is along Bathurst and Queens Quay, which slow badly during events at the Rogers Centre, Harbourfront festivals and summer weekends. The airport's own site, billybishopairport.com, lists current services.
The pedestrian tunnel and the ferry
You have two ways across the Western Channel. The pedestrian tunnel is about 260 metres (853 feet) long, runs under the lake bed and takes most people under six minutes, with moving walkways and elevators at both ends; it is open during airport operating hours. The ferry crosses about 121 metres in roughly 90 seconds and is the traditional route, and many travellers with heavy bags or small children prefer it because there are no long walks. Either way, you arrive at or leave from the mainland pavilion, which is where our chauffeur drops and collects. The airport's published hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, which is when we schedule our YTZ pickups and drop-offs. Our step-by-step guide is how to get to Billy Bishop airport.
Drop-off at Eireann Quay
For departures, the chauffeur drops you along the curb outside the mainland pavilion and ferry terminal. The airport allows vehicles to stop there momentarily for active loading and unloading only; the whole curbside is a no-parking zone. There is also a small turning circle with complimentary spaces limited to a five-minute stop. In practice this means your chauffeur unloads quickly and you walk straight in; there is no time for a long goodbye at the kerb. Porter and Air Canada set their own check-in cut-offs, and the security screening is on the island side, so allow time for the crossing as well as the line. The pick-up and drop-off rules are published by the airport.
Pickup at Billy Bishop: what the fare includes
For arrivals, you cross back from the island through the tunnel or on the ferry and come out at the mainland pavilion. Because the curb has a five-minute limit and the rest of the frontage is no-parking, a chauffeur cannot sit at the door for half an hour the way cars wait at a large airport. Instead we track the flight, the chauffeur waits nearby, and when you message that you are on your way across, the car pulls up to the curb as you come out. Curbside pickup is what the fare includes. With the meet and greet add-on (planning figure $25–35), the chauffeur parks in the airport's paid lot and waits inside the mainland pavilion with a name board, then walks you out. Included waiting follows our rule: 30 minutes on Canadian and US flights and on flights from the US, from the actual landing time.
Taxis, rideshare and the free shuttle
Billy Bishop also has a taxi corral to the right of the mainland pavilion at the foot of Eireann Quay, and rideshare apps use a designated pickup and drop-off area along the curb next to Little Norway Park, in the finger lanes. Rideshare drivers without a fare are not allowed to wait on airport property. The airport runs a free shuttle bus between the mainland terminal and 44 York Street, on the west side of the Fairmont Royal York across from Union Station, usually every 15 minutes, every 25 minutes early and late, with a trip of about 15 minutes; the shuttle page has current times. For one traveller with a small bag heading to Union, the shuttle is hard to beat. A booked car makes sense when you have luggage, are going somewhere other than Union, are travelling as a family or group, or need a guaranteed time.
Which airlines fly from Billy Bishop
Porter Airlines operates its turboprop network from Billy Bishop, with frequent flights to Ottawa, Montreal and other Canadian cities as well as US destinations. Air Canada also flies from YTZ, including to Montreal. In March 2026 a US Customs and Border Protection preclearance facility opened at the airport, which means passengers flying to the United States clear US customs and immigration in Toronto before departure; both Porter and Air Canada have been adding US routes, with cities such as Boston, Chicago, the New York area and Washington among them. Routes change, so check Porter or Air Canada for current schedules. For arrivals from the US, remember you still clear Canadian customs on the island before walking out.
Connecting between Pearson and Billy Bishop
Many travellers land at Pearson on a long-haul flight and continue from Billy Bishop, or the reverse. A car is the most direct link: our planning figure from Pearson to Billy Bishop is $145–175 in a business sedan, all-in, plus HST, with an executive SUV about 25–30 % more. Off-peak the drive is 30–40 minutes via Highway 427 and the Gardiner Expressway, exiting toward Bathurst Street; in the weekday morning rush or the evening peak it can be 60 minutes or longer. Add the time to clear customs at Pearson, the tunnel or ferry, and security at YTZ, and we recommend a gap of at least three and a half to four hours between flights on separate tickets. The Pearson to Billy Bishop route page shows timing by time of day.
Downtown hotels minutes from YTZ
Billy Bishop's biggest advantage is that the downtown hotel district is next door. Hotels around Union Station, the Financial District, King West, the Entertainment District and the waterfront are all a short drive, and most Front Street and Harbourfront properties are well under 15 minutes in normal traffic. For business travellers flying in for a day of meetings, that turns YTZ into an extension of the office: a car at the pavilion, a short run up Bathurst or Spadina, and you are at your meeting. For longer stays, an hourly chauffeur is often better value than separate one-way trips; see hourly chauffeur service. The reservation engine prices short downtown hops by the exact addresses, so you see the fixed fare before booking.
Timing a trip to Billy Bishop
Rush hour downtown is roughly 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning and 4 to 6:30 in the evening, and the Gardiner and Lake Shore Boulevard slow sharply then. Queens Quay has streetcar tracks and busy cycle lanes, so the final approach is slower than it looks on a map. On Blue Jays home games, concert nights, the Canadian National Exhibition in late summer and big waterfront festivals, Bathurst Street and the area around the airport fill up. Our engine adds buffer to departure pickups in those windows. As a rule of thumb, aim to be at the Eireann Quay curb 60 minutes before a domestic departure and 90 minutes before a US departure now that preclearance is on site, and check your airline's cut-off.
Private jets at Billy Bishop
Billy Bishop also handles business aviation, and private passengers typically go through a fixed-base operator rather than the main terminal. Ground arrangements for FBO passengers are different from those for airline passengers, and access depends on the operator. If you are flying privately, tell us the operator and tail number at booking, and dispatch coordinates the pickup point in advance. Our page on the Billy Bishop FBO explains the process, and the general service is described on private jet and FBO transfers.
Luggage, families and accessibility
Porter's cabins are compact and most travellers fly with modest luggage, so a business sedan for three people and three bags covers most YTZ trips. Families, golfers and anyone with sports equipment are better in an executive SUV for up to six people and six bags. Whatever the exemptions for taxis and buses, we fit the right child seat for every child who needs one. The tunnel has elevators and moving walkways and the ferry is step-free, so both are workable for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility; tell us at booking so the chauffeur can position the car close to the pavilion door and help with bags. See wheelchair accessible transfers for vehicles with ramps.
Winter and weather at the island airport
Weather affects Billy Bishop differently from Pearson. Fog and strong winds off the lake can delay turboprop flights, and winter storms slow the downtown approach roads. Flight tracking means your chauffeur follows the real arrival time, so a late landing is not your problem. On departure days with poor weather, check your flight status before leaving the hotel and message dispatch if you want to move the pickup; changes made more than 72 hours ahead are free, and our sitewide cancellation terms apply after that. Dress for the walk from the car into the pavilion, and keep in mind that the ferry is exposed to the wind.
Booking a Billy Bishop pickup for a guest
Assistants and hosts often book YTZ pickups for visitors flying in on Porter for a day of meetings. Put the guest's name and mobile number on the booking, and add meet and greet if the guest has never been to Billy Bishop, because the mainland pavilion is the natural meeting point and a name board removes any doubt. The chauffeur texts the guest on landing and confirms the pickup to you if you ask for notifications. For a return the same evening, book both legs together, or book the chauffeur by the hour if the guest has several appointments across the core. The fixed fare is billed to your account, gratuity is included, and the guest never needs to handle payment.
Billy Bishop transfer checklist
- Book with your flight number and choose curbside or meet and greet.
- Allow time for the tunnel or ferry as well as security.
- On departure, expect a quick unload: the curb is for active loading only.
- For US flights, allow for preclearance on the island.
- Connecting to Pearson? Leave at least three and a half hours between flights.
