Carney suggests island airport jets not nixed in perpetuity: ‘forever is a long time’
Written by The Canadian Press on August 5, 2026
TORONTO — Prime Minister Mark Carney says he is not ruling out ever allowing jets to land at Toronto’s island airport, but he is focused for now on a broader transportation picture.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford had pitched a plan to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to allow jets to land, framing it as a way to boost the economy.
The land is governed as a tripartite agreement that was formerly between the city of Toronto, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, which is a federal agency, but the province took over the city’s role earlier this year.
Carney’s government rejected Ford’s vision last month following a consultation largely opposed to the idea of jets, and he says today that the results of the consultation were clear but “forever is a long time.”
Sources who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to share internal discussions have said Ford and Carney had a handshake deal in which the province supported Carney’s high-speed rail plan in exchange for federal support for the airport expansion.
However, when asked today if he ever told Ford he would greenlight the project, Carney said no.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press