BlaakLane.com books Billy Bishop airport car service at a fixed fare shown before you confirm. Enter your flight into YTZ, the address and the vehicle; the chauffeur tracks the flight, waits 30 minutes free after a Canadian flight and 60 after a US one, and meets you at the pickup area on the mainland side at the foot of Bathurst Street.
How Billy Bishop airport car service works
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on the western tip of the Toronto Islands, about 2 kilometres from the Financial District, and its short-haul turboprop flights make it the airport of choice for many Bay Street travellers flying to Montreal, Ottawa, New York or Boston. Book in the reservation engine on this page or on book. Give the flight number, the address and the vehicle class. The fare is fixed and includes the included waiting time; there is no meter.
The BlaakLane.com reservations and dispatch desk is itself based in Toronto and works 24/7, so a YTZ booking is a home-city booking. Your confirmation names the chauffeur and the vehicle.
Island terminal, tunnel and ferry
The passenger terminal is on the island. Passengers reach the mainland through a pedestrian tunnel of about 260 metres under the Western Gap, with moving walkways and lifts, or by the airport ferry, one of the shortest scheduled ferry crossings anywhere, which also carries vehicles. Porter Airlines and Air Canada operate from YTZ with turboprop aircraft; jets are not permitted under the tripartite agreement that governs the airport. PortsToronto owns and operates the airport, and the official Billy Bishop site lists airlines and ground transport arrangements.
Where your chauffeur meets you
Pickup is on the mainland, not on the island. Cars wait at the passenger pick-up area PortsToronto designates at the foot of Bathurst Street, on Eireann Quay. Walk through the tunnel or take the ferry, then contact the chauffeur, who will bring the car to the pickup bay. The chauffeur does not go into the island terminal by default. A meet and greet at the mainland exit is an add-on; add-ons are only available in selected locations.
Drive times from Billy Bishop
| Destination | Approx. distance | Usual drive |
|---|---|---|
| King West and Liberty Village | 2-3 km | 5-10 minutes |
| Financial District and Union Station | 3 km | 10-15 minutes |
| Metro Toronto Convention Centre | 2 km | 8-12 minutes |
| Yorkville | 5 km | 15-25 minutes |
| Toronto Pearson (YYZ) | 25 km | 25-45 minutes |
| Mississauga City Centre | 28 km | 25-40 minutes |
| Vaughan and Markham | 35-40 km | 35-55 minutes |
| Oakville | 38 km | 35-50 minutes |
| Hamilton | 70 km | 50-70 minutes |
| Niagara Falls | 130 km | 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours |
The Gardiner Expressway is the fast route west and to Pearson, but ongoing rehabilitation work by the City of Toronto has reduced lanes on long stretches, and the Lake Shore Boulevard alternative carries heavy rush-hour traffic. The TTC's 509 and 511 streetcars run near the mainland terminal, and TTC service connects to Union Station for GO Transit and VIA Rail.
Which vehicle suits a YTZ arrival?
Most Billy Bishop travellers are short-trip business flyers with a carry-on, so the smaller classes dominate. The nine classes on the web booker:
- Standard Sedan: one or two passengers heading to a Bay Street office.
- Luxury Executive Sedan: the S-Class-level car for a client meeting or a board dinner.
- Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach): a principal who wants to work or rest on the way to a north Toronto home.
- Standard Black SUV and Executive Black SUV: six seats for a deal team, or winter travel to Oakville or Vaughan.
- Sprinter Luxury Jet Van: seven passengers with carry-ons, ideal for a management team flying back from Ottawa together.
- Sprinter Van: twelve passengers for a delegation.
- Luxury Stretch Limo and Party Bus: events in the city rather than airport runs.
Full capacities are on the fleet.
Waterfront events that affect YTZ pickups
The airport's mainland entrance is a short walk from Exhibition Place, the Rogers Centre and the Scotiabank Arena, so events change the roads around Bathurst Street. The Honda Indy usually closes Lake Shore Boulevard around Exhibition Place in July, the Canadian National Exhibition runs from late August to Labour Day, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival parade fills Lake Shore in early August, and the Toronto International Film Festival brings red-carpet traffic to King Street in September. On those dates the chauffeur may stage the car on a side street and walk you over, and a Blue Jays home game can add ten minutes to a Financial District drop-off.
Customs for flights from the United States
Arrivals from US cities clear Canada Border Services Agency inspection in the island terminal before exiting, which is why international arrivals carry 60 minutes of included waiting from the actual landing. Canadian domestic arrivals include 30 minutes. After that, waiting is billed in 15-minute blocks.
Business travel between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal
The Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal triangle is YTZ's core market. Travellers who fly out in the morning and back in the evening can keep a standing profile on a corporate account, with cost centres and monthly invoicing, and book the matching legs at Ottawa and Montreal-Trudeau. Roadshow schedules can be planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing through financial roadshows.
Weather, fog and diversions
Lake Ontario fog and winter storms occasionally close YTZ for a few hours, and flights divert to Pearson. If that happens, call (877) 397-6699 and the booking will be moved to a Pearson pickup and priced before you agree. The chauffeur's timing always follows the live flight.
Cancellations
No charge more than 72 hours before pickup. Within 72 hours, 10%; within 48 hours, 50%; within 24 hours or on a no-show, 100%.
Toronto and other airports in the region
The Toronto chauffeur guide covers the city's districts and venues, and Toronto Pearson handles long-haul flights. The city publishes waterfront and roadworks information at toronto.ca, and the PortsToronto site explains the airport's governance. See rates for what a fare includes.
