9 Airline and
Airport Support9
C H A P T E R
AI R L I N E A N DAI R P O RT SU P P O RT
v
service during line maintenance.
This is the predominant type of
aircraft maintenance conducted at
Toronto Pearson. The level of line
maintenance at an airport is a
function of the overall level of
activity, the number of aircraft
that remain overnight, the number
of airlines with a major base at
that airport, and the type and age
of aircraft serving the airport.
Heavy maintenance involves major
airframe and system checks, over-
hauls, conversions, and other major
9.1
A I R L I N E A N D A I R P O R T S U P P O R T
Chapter 9
9 . 1 I N T R O D U C T I O N
Airlines require facilities and
services at Toronto Pearson
International Airport to support
their day-to-day operations.
Facilities are also required by the
GTAA to manage, operate, and
maintain the Airport. This chapter
explores the types of facilities
currently used, industry trends
and future requirements for such
facilities.
9 . 2 E X I S T I N G A I R L I N ES U P P O RT FA C I L I T I E S
Airline support facilities include
structures for maintenance of
aircraft and ground service equip-
ment, flight kitchens, aircraft waste
disposal, staff training, and ancil-
lary facilities. Facilities for aircraft
deicing and fuelling are discussed
in Chapters 5 and 11 respectively.
Airline support facilities at
Toronto Pearson occupy approxi-
mately 176,000 m2 of building
space with 53 per cent of that
space used for aircraft mainte-
nance; 19 per cent for flight
kitchens, nine per cent for flight
training, eight per cent for ground
service equipment and the balance
(11 per cent) for aircraft waste dis-
posal and ancillary facilities. These
facilities are dispersed throughout
the Airport.
The extent of the facilities
required by an individual airline is
determined by the size and scope
of its operations at Toronto
Pearson. Support facilities may be
provided by airlines themselves or
by third parties who sell services
to airlines.
9.2.1 Aircraft MaintenanceHangar Facilities
There are four general categories
of aircraft maintenance: line main-
tenance, heavy maintenance,
engine maintenance, and compo-
nent maintenance. Collectively,
they are referred to as the
Maintenance, Repair, and
Overhaul (MRO) industry.
Line maintenance involves
day-to-day checks and
repairs associated with
normal airline operations
and aircraft remain in
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
GTAA Three Bay Hangar
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.2
work carried out in specialized,
well-equipped hangar facilities
with extensive support shops.
This work may take several days
to several months to complete.
Currently, heavy maintenance at
Toronto Pearson is limited to
specific work on some types of air-
craft. This work is performed by
company-operated or leased facili-
ties, as described below and
reflected in Figure 9-1.
Air Canada (including Air Canada
Jazz and Air Canada Technical
Services) operates maintenance
facilities in eight hangar bays. The
proposed redevelopment of their
hangar complex in Area 7 will pro-
vide them with modern hangars
more suitable in size for their cur-
rent and future aircraft fleet.
A I R L I N E S U P P O RT FA C I L I T I E S S U M M A RY
Building Area Land AreaType Organization Facility Name Airport Area (m2) (ha) (acres)
Airline Maintenance Air Canada Bays 6, & 10-11 7Air Canada Jazz Bays 1-3 7Air Canada Bay 8 7Air Canada Bay 9 7Air Georgian Hangar 2 – Bay 3 8WestJet Infield Hangar – South Bay 10Skyservice Hangar 6A 8Air Transat Hangar 4 8
94,029 35 86.4Flight Kitchens CLS Flight Kitchen 2A
Cara Flight Kitchen 1 10Cara Flight Kitchen 2 5
33,379 8.6 21.3Flight Training Air Canada Flight Simulator Building 5
Air Canada Inflight Services Building 2AAir Canada Annex Building 2ACAE Flight Training Facility 13B
15,243 3.4 8.5Aircraft Waste U-Pak Infield Waste Facility 10
780 .08 0.2GSE Maintenance Servisair GSE Maintenance Facility 2A
Handlex Vista GSE Building 5GTA Ground Equipment GSE Maintenance Facility 8ATS GSE Maintenance Facility 5Air Canada Equipment Maintenance Bldg 10Air Canada GSE Maintenance Facility 2A
13,875 5.6 13.8Ancillary Facilities Air Canada (storage) Bays 4 & 5 7
Air Canada (stores) Annex Building 2AACTS Wheel & Brake – Annex Bldg. 2AACTS Paint Shop – Bay 7 7WestJet Commissary – Air Supply 10Skyservice Hangar 6 – Commissary 8
19,126 1.4 3.4TOTALS 176,432 54.1 133.6
TA B L E 9 - 1
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.3
WestJet leases the South Bay of the
GTAA’s Three Bay Hangar located
in Area 10 for line maintenance
activities, as well as parts storage
and administration. WestJet also
leases apron area adjacent to the
hangar for aircraft parking.
Air Transat leases Hangar 4 from
Millard Air, located in Area 8, for
operation as an aircraft mainte-
nance facility.
Skyservice Airline operates two
hangars in Area 8. Hangar 6A is
used for aircraft line maintenance
for Skyservice, Sunwing, and
Zoom Airlines. Hangar 6 has been
converted for the warehousing of
aircraft parts.
Skyservice FBO leases the North
Bay of the GTAA’s Three Bay
Hangar in Area 10 to perform
maintenance work on airline and
corporate aircraft.
Air Georgian leases Bay 3 of
Hangar 2 from Landmark
Aviation, located in Area 8, for
heavy and line maintenance activi-
ties, as well as for administration
and dispatch purposes.
Wright International does not
have a permanent physical presence
on the Airport. The company
offers aircraft maintenance services
using their technicians and the
client’s hangar space or leased
hangar space as required.
The Centre Bay of the GTAA’s
Three Bay Hangar, located in
Area 10, is currently used for short-
term arrangements, but is available
to accommodate long-term line
maintenance requirements.
Line maintenance will continue to
have a significant presence at
Toronto Pearson due to the high
volume of aircraft movements and
the number of aircraft remaining
overnight. These facilities are
approaching capacity with some at
100 per cent and others between
75 and 85 per cent usage.
The Centre Bay of the GTAA
Three Bay Hangar will be required
to meet the short- and medium-
term facility requirements for air-
craft line maintenance. As well,
additional lands that will be avail-
able to the GTAA, once the acqui-
sition of the Boeing Lands has
been completed, could be allocated
to future line maintenance facility
requirements and heavy mainte-
nance activity at Toronto Pearson.
9.2.2 Ground Service EquipmentMaintenance Facilities
Ground Service Equipment (GSE)
includes aircraft tugs and tow
bars; baggage tractors, carts and
Air Canada Hangar Complex
Air Canada Equipment Maintenance Building (forefront)
Aircraft with Airline Ground Service Equipment
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.4
belt loaders; cargo loaders; ground
and auxiliary power units; lavatory
trucks and carts; air conditioning
units; and other equipment
required to service aircraft.
In addition to the overall level of
activity at the Airport, the demand
for GSE facilities is driven by the
age of the GSE fleet, facility
throughput, the availability of
fixed facilities (such as auxiliary
power and conditioned air at ter-
minal bridges), and the mix and
age of aircraft.
There are five companies offering
GSE maintenance services at
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.5
Toronto Pearson. GSE mainte-
nance providers and their associ-
ated facilities are described below.
Air Canada has two buildings
where major GSE maintenance
activities are performed: one is
located in Area 10 and the other
in Area 2A. Servisair (formerly
Hudson General) operates a GSE
maintenance facility, located in
Area 2A. Handlex and Airport
Terminal Services (ATS) operate
GSE maintenance facilities within
the Vista Cargo complex, located
in Area 5, and GTA Ground
Equipment Specialties operates a
GSE maintenance facility in
Hangar 10, located in Area 8.
Currently, there are 13,875 m2 of
GSE shop space available at the
Airport. These facilities are
approaching capacity, ranging
from 50-99 per cent usage.
Projections of future requirements
are based on factoring existing
building sizes and capacities in
proportion to increasing aircraft
movement volumes. There are
alternate methods to increase GSE
maintenance capacity other than
providing more space, such as
scheduling a second shift of
workers to use the same existing
space and equipment. Should
market share distribution change,
it is conceivable that expansions
may vary in size.
Lands are currently available in
Area 2A and additional lands
could be allocated for these uses
based on demand. In addition,
the lands that will be available to
the GTAA once the acquisition of
the Boeing lands has been com-
pleted, could be allocated, in
conjunction with other airline
support facilities, for GSE main-
tenance activities.
9.2.3 Flight Kitchen Facilities
Flight kitchens provide on-board
catering services to air carriers.
Catering services may range from
hot meals to snacks and beverages
to the provision of in-flight service
items, such as duty free.
In addition to the volume of pas-
sengers and aircraft operations,
the demand for flight kitchen
facilities is driven by airline cater-
ing policies, the length of flights,
and competition from carry-on
food service providers and poten-
tially from off-airport food service
providers.
Flight kitchens do not require
taxiway access. It is preferable for
flight kitchen buildings to have
groundside access for material
deliveries and airside access for
meal deliveries to aircraft. This
eliminates the need for delivery
staff to pass through restricted area
checkpoints. While it is possible
for flight kitchens to operate with
groundside access only, or from an
off-airport location, this method
of operation is less desirable
given current airport security
requirements.
Two companies have dedicated
flight kitchen facilities at the
Airport. CLS Catering Services
operates a groundside facility in
Area 2A, and Cara operates two
flight kitchen/catering facilities at
Toronto Pearson referred to as
Flight Kitchens 1 and 2. Flight
Kitchen 1, built in 2001, is
located in Area 10 and has both
groundside and airside access.
Flight Kitchen 2, a groundside
facility located in Area 5, is
used primarily for preparing
kosher meals.
Flight Kitchen Meal Deliveries
Cara Flight Kitchen 1
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.6
In-flight catering requirements
have fallen drastically over the last
decade. In the highly competitive
airline environment, meal service
has been eliminated or reduced
on the majority of flights. There
are no identified additional facility
requirements for the short to
medium term. It is further
assumed that requirements for the
long term will be accommodated
within the land areas currently
allocated to flight kitchens, either
through additional changes to
the business model or increased
efficiencies within the existing
facilities.
9.2.4 Aircraft Waste ProcessingFacilities
Facilities with airside access are
needed to process aircraft sewage
and garbage. The demand for
these facilities is driven almost
exclusively by passenger volume
and Canada Food Inspection
Agency regulations regarding
waste collection and processing.
The triturator facility (located in
Area 11) processes sewage prior to
its release into the municipal sani-
tary sewer systems. This facility
consists of a chemical storage
room and a vehicle bay where dis-
posal vehicles unload waste. It is
owned and operated by the
Pearson International Fuel
Facilities Corporation (PIFFC), a
consortium of airlines operating at
Toronto Pearson.
All garbage from aircraft is col-
lected airside by U-Pak Disposals
Limited and is taken to the waste
transfer station in Area 10, where
it is compacted and transported to
an off-site incinerator.
The quantities of waste processed
are a function of aircraft move-
ments and passenger volumes.
Both are forecast to grow as
reported in Chapter 3.
The capacity of the waste transfer
station facility in Area 10 can be
increased by adding staff, carts,
and vehicles to transport the waste
instead of increasing the size of
the waste transfer station itself.
The waste transfer station is not
expected to require expansion
until beyond 2030.
The new triturator facility was
constructed in 1999 as part of the
new PIFFC building. There is no
indication that expansion is
required until beyond 2030.
9.2.5 Flight-Crew, Cabin-Crew,and Customer Service Training
Training facilities include full-
motion simulators to train pilots,
evacuation simulators used for
cabin staff, classrooms and other
facilities used to train airline cus-
tomer service staff. Training facili-
ties do not require taxiways or
airside access. They may be
situated on or off airport.
Air Canada operates a flight-crew
simulator training facility in
Area 5 and a cabin-crew simulator
training facility in Area 2A. CAE
operates a flight-crew simulator
Airport South Airport and Airline Support Facilities
CAE Aviation Training Facility
Air Canada Training Facility
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.7
training facility in Area 13B. This
facility houses four full-motion
simulators and also includes
computer labs, classrooms, and
study areas.
Air Canada and CAE both operate
flight simulators. The demand for
these simulators is driven by new
aircraft types, as well as fleet and
pilot growth. Utilization ranges
between 85 and 100 per cent
capacity, with daily operations of
over 20 hours.
Given the forecast number of
pilots, there is a potential require-
ment for up to seven additional
simulator positions over the
medium to long term.
The in-flight cabin-crew training
simulator facility is already at
100 per cent usage with an over-
flow classroom in use and evacua-
tion training being conducted in
the Annex Building in Area 2A.
This facility is already at 90 per
cent capacity, and it is estimated
that full capacity will be reached
in 2014, at which time expansion
would be required.
Demand for in-flight cabin training
facilities is driven by the size of an
air carrier’s fleet as well as flight
frequency. Given anticipated fleet
growth and flight attendant hiring
among major national carriers, in-
flight training space will continue
to be used at capacity for the next
several years.
Air Canada and CAE are jointly
undertaking an expansion of the
existing CAE flight simulator fa -
cility in Area 13B; following com-
pletion of the expansion in early
2009, the facility will have the
capacity for an additional 10 air-
craft flight simulators and associ-
ated classroom training space.
There are no identified additional
facility requirements beyond the
forthcoming expansion by Air
Canada and CAE for the short to
medium term. It is further
assumed that requirements for the
long term will be accommodated
within the land areas currently
allocated to flight training, includ-
ing future expansions as required.
9.2.6 Ancillary Facilities
Airlines and service providers sup-
porting airlines require space for
commissaries and general ware-
housing, storage and workshops.
Storage, commissary, and certain
component maintenance facilities
do not require taxiway or airside
access. However, those activities in
support of aircraft line mainte-
nance or daily operations should
be located nearby. Demand for
general storage is driven by aircraft
movement growth and fleet
diversity, while commissary stores
South Fire Hall (forefront)Middle, left to right: Peel Regional Police/Transport Canada Building; Central Workshops and Stores; Airside and Inter-Terminal Bussing Facility. Background: CLS Flight Kitchen; South ASDE Tower
Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.8
facilities are generally driven by
passenger activity.
Air Canada utilizes space in
Hangar Bays 4 and 5, located in
Area 7, and in its Annex Building
located in Area 2A for storage and
warehousing purposes. Air Canada
Technical Services (ACTS) oper-
ates a wheel and brake shop out of
the Annex Building. WestJet oper-
ates a commissary facility at the
Cargo 3 complex, located in
Area 10, to support their in-flight
service programs. Skyservice oper-
ates its commissary facility in the
converted Hangar 6, located in
Area 8.
Although facilities are sufficient
for the short term, it is anticipated
that demand for these services will
increase with passenger growth.
Some facilities will have to be
expanded or become more effi-
cient. Additionally, some activity
may need to be conducted at sup-
plementary off-site facilities.
9.2.7 Airline Support FacilitiesRequirements
The airline support facilities
requirements are summarized in
Table 9-2.
9 . 3 A I R P O RT S U P P O RTFA C I L I T I E S
The provision of various facilities
to support airport activity is an
essential component of Toronto
Pearson’s operations. These
facilities include emergency
response and coordination, polic-
ing and security, airfield and air-
port maintenance, and various
administrative and staff support
accommodations. Existing and
planned airport support facilities
are illustrated in Figure 9-2.
Airport facility requirements will,
in most cases, be met within the
currently allocated land areas.
If additional lands are required,
an assessment will be made
of available property on an
individual basis.
9.3.1 Emergency Responseand Coordination
Fire Halls
The Emergency Response Services
(ERS) group is responsible for the
initial response to any emergency
on airport property with special
emphasis on aircraft crash and
rescue functions. Toronto
Pearson’s ERS are accommodated
in two facilities, one located in
Airport North and the second in
Airport South.
Canine Search Operations
A I R L I N E S U P P O RT FA C I L I T I E S R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Short Term Medium Term Long TermAirline Support Activity (2008-2012) (2013-2017) (2018-2030)Aircraft Maintenance:
Hangar Building Area (m2) 24,400 11,000 16,500Total Land Area ha (acres) 9.5 (23.5) 3.6 (8.9) 12 (29.7)
GSE Maintenance:GSE Building Area (m2) — — 8,000Total Land Area ha (acres) — — 1.3 (3.3)
Aircraft Waste Processing:Building Area — — —Land Area ha (acres) — — —
Flight Kitchens:Kitchen Building Area (m2) — — 26,000Total Land Area ha (acres) — — 3.6 (9)
Flight Training:Building Area (m2) 9,400 — —Total Land Area ha (acres) 1.1 (2.60) — —
Ancillary Facilities:Building Area (m2) — 3,300 3,500Total Land Area ha (acres) — 0.5 (1.1) 0.5 (1.2)
Total Land Area ha (acres) 10.6 (26.1) 4.1 (10.0) 17.4 (43.2)
TA B L E 9 - 2
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.9
The North Fire Hall, constructed
in 1998, is located in the south
end of Area 8. The two-storey
facility has four apparatus bays,
plus a fifth bay that is used as a
drive-through wash bay.
Constructed in Area 2A in 1999,
the South Fire Hall can accommo-
date up to six ERS vehicles. In
addition, this facility also accom-
modates the ERS administrative
offices.
In addition to the ERS fire halls,
the City of Mississauga operates a
two-bay fire hall located on air-
port property in Area 6C. This fire
hall responds to structural fires
and emergency situations that
occur both on and off airport
property.
Fire Training Area
The Fire and Emergency Services
Training Institute began operation
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.10
in March 2007. It is a state-of-the-
art training facility with classroom
and practical training areas. It was
built according to the Leading
Engineering and Environmental
Design Standard (LEEDS) to
ensure a minimal impact to the
environment, efficient construc-
tion techniques and materials, and
long-term cost effectiveness to
maintain.
The Institute contains four
20-student classrooms, a large
theatre/conferencing room capable
of holding 80 or split into two
40-person areas. It has practical
training areas for structural fire
fighting, hazardous materials, con-
fined space, technical rescue and
search and rescue.
This facility will be used to train
GTAA fire fighters to maintain
their high level of preparedness for
fire and emergency service to the
Airport. Additionally, it will be
used to leverage GTAA expertise
and experience to train fire fighters
and other emergency responders
from within Canada and from
around the world thereby
contributing non-aeronautical
revenue to the GTAA.
Airport Emergency
Support Centre
The Airport Emergency Support
Centre (AESC) facility, located
south of the fire hall in Area 2A,
can serve as a base for emergency
operations and as a centre for
basic airport operations control. In
addition to emergency conference
rooms, specialized vehicles, trailers,
equipment, and supplies are
located in this building.
Canine Unit
The GTAA canine unit is located
in the same building as the AESC.
The unit is responsible for the
provision of an immediate canine
response to all unattended articles
and bomb threat incidents and for
the conduct of routine searches
and patrols.
9.3.2 Airport Policingand Security
Airport Policing
Peel Regional Police (PRP) is con-
tracted by the GTAA to provide
policing services to Toronto
Pearson to meet federal regulatory
requirements. The PRP Airport
Division consists of both uniformed
and plain clothes officers and has
jurisdiction to investigate and
enforce criminal matters through-
out the airport environ ment,
including on flights terminating at
Toronto Pearson. The Division is
headquartered at 2951 Convair
Drive. The third floor of the
building is used to accommodate
admini s trative offices for Transport
Canada.
Airport Security and Pass Control
GTAA Security is responsible for
ensuring Toronto Pearson meets
all federal regulatory requirements
pertaining to the security of an
aerodrome, as well as ensuring the
security of GTAA corporate assets.
Activities include maintaining the
security of restricted areas,
responding to security incidents,
developing security systems and
processes, and issuing access iden-
tification and permits. GTAA
Security is located in the GTAA
Administration Building at
3111 Convair Drive. The GTAA
Pass/Permit Control Office is
located at 3015 Convair Drive,
and will soon be relocated to a
facility within the redeveloped
Terminal 1 Parking Garage.
Airfield Maintenance Facility (forefront)
Runway Winter Maintenance Equipment
Chapter 9 > AI R L I N E A N D AI R P O RT SU P P O RT
9.11
9.3.3 Airport Administration,and Airfield/AirportMaintenance
Airport Administration
In 1997, the GTAA moved its
administration offices from the
former administration building
located immediately north of
Terminal 1 to its present location
on Convair Drive. The current
building accommodates a staff of
450 and meets the immediate
needs of the GTAA.
Airfield and Airport Maintenance
The Airfield Maintenance Facility
(AMF) is located at 3045 Electra
Court, just south of Runway
06R-24L. The AMF was designed
to efficiently flow vehicles through
the facility, via the following
features:
• 10 drive-through equipment
storage bays
• Five drive-through heavy-
equipment repair bays
• Three small-vehicle repair bays
• One drive-through wash bay
In addition, this facility is used for
the indoor and outdoor storage of
maintenance vehicles/equipment
and has direct access to the airside
roadway system. The AMF is also
home to a welding shop, a paint
shop, and airside stores that man-
age the GTAA’s multi-station fuel
system.
A storage facility located immedi-
ately west of the AMF houses
stores of runway sand, dry chemi-
cals, and other materials required
for airport maintenance. This
facility is shared with airside stores
to allow storage of commonly
used items. Other storage facilities
exist around the airport site to
facilitate seasonal and year-round
maintenance.
Building Maintenance operates
out of three locations: Terminal 1,
Terminal 3, and the Central Work -
shops. There are workshops in the
terminal buildings, designed to
respond to predictive, preventative,
and demand-maintenance needs.
These workshops are equip ped
with machinery for most
maintenance-related tasks and
include satellite stores for
spare parts.
Central Workshops and Stores
The Central Workshops and
Stores house supplies for field elec-
trical maintenance, the sign shop,
painters, and carpenters, as well as
machinery for heavy maintenance-
related tasks and a fuel storage/
dispensing facility.
9.3.4 Other Airport SupportServices
Wildlife management services are
provided under contract by a pro-
fessional wildlife control company,
operating from an airside facility
located adjacent to the North Fire
Hall. This facility provides offices
for wildlife control officers and
collocated aviaries for some
20 trained raptors (hawks, falcons,
and a bald eagle) and for any rap-
tors trapped on the airfield. While
falconry is the primary method
used to prevent bird strikes on
aircraft, pyrotechnics, trapping,
distress calls, and hazing are some
of the other methods used in
support.
The GTAA’s Airside and Inter-
Terminal Bussing Facility on
Convair Drive is located west of
the Emergency Support Centre
with Environment Canada’s
Meteorological Observation
Station located adjacent to the
Bussing Facility.
GTAA Administration Building, Air Canada Annex (middle) and Air Canada GSE Building (far right)