Overview
- Doug Ford confirmed plans to assume the city’s interest in the island airport and said Toronto will be compensated for land value and roughly $5 million in annual revenue.
- The premier signalled expropriation is on the table to secure provincial control, framing expansion as an economic driver and alternative to Pearson.
- The airport is bound by a tripartite agreement that bans jets, and the federal transport minister said Ottawa is reviewing the issue without offering an endorsement.
- Ports Toronto welcomed provincial involvement to modernize operations for smaller, quieter jets, while Mayor Olivia Chow opposes bringing jets even as federally required runway safety-buffer work advances toward a July 2027 deadline.
- Local pushback has intensified through NoJetsTO and island residents, and Ford drew criticism after dismissing homeowners on the islands as “squatters.”