The Billy Bishop tunnel is a pedestrian passage under the Western Channel linking the mainland pavilion at the foot of Eireann Quay with the island terminal. The airport says it takes under six minutes from curb to check-in, with elevators and four moving walkways. Pre-booked cars stop at the pavilion curb; they do not cross to the island.
What is the Billy Bishop tunnel, and why does it matter for your car?
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport sits on the island, a few hundred metres across the Western Channel from the foot of Bathurst Street. Cars stop on the mainland, and passengers cross either through the pedestrian tunnel or on the short ferry. That last stretch is on foot, which is why the handover point matters more here than at almost any other airport we serve. The airport itself, its distances and booking details are on our Billy Bishop airport car service page. This post zooms in on the 260 or so metres between the curb and the check-in desk: what the walk is like, who might struggle with it, where a chauffeur can and cannot stop, and how to find your car when you come up on the mainland side after landing.
How long is the tunnel, and how deep?
According to the airport's pedestrian tunnel page, the tunnel is 853 feet long, which is about 260 metres, and was built in the bedrock 100 feet beneath the surface of the lake. The entrance is inside the mainland pavilion. Six elevators take passengers down to tunnel level, where four moving walkways carry you across. At the island end you go up to the atrium and check-in area by one of the longest escalator systems in Canada, by one of two elevators, or by a staircase of 153 steps. The airport says the whole thing takes less than six minutes from curb to check-in. In practice that is a fair figure for someone walking at a normal pace with a rolling case and no queue at the elevators.
What is the walk like, step by step?
- Out of the car at the curb in front of the mainland pavilion on Eireann Quay; the chauffeur unloads your bags.
- Into the pavilion, where the tunnel entrance is signposted.
- Down by elevator, 100 feet to tunnel level.
- Across on the moving walkways, under the Western Channel.
- Up to the island atrium by escalator, elevator or stairs.
- Check-in and security in the island terminal.
Coming home, reverse the order: off the aircraft, through the terminal, down, across, up into the pavilion and out to the curb, where the car is waiting.
When would you take the ferry instead?
The airport's ferry page describes an electric ferry whose crossing takes about 90 seconds, among the shortest scheduled ferry trips anywhere. Some passengers prefer it for the view or because they dislike enclosed spaces; others find it handy when they are already on the waterfront. For car passengers the drop-off is the same area on Eireann Quay, so the choice can be made on the spot. With a lot of luggage, the tunnel's elevators and moving walkways are usually the easier route, but both work. If there is any question of mobility, ask the airline or the airport about assistance in advance; our chauffeur can help as far as the pavilion.
Where exactly can a car stop on Eireann Quay?
The airport's pick-up and drop-off page sets out the rules, and our chauffeurs follow them:
- The curb outside the mainland pavilion and ferry terminal is for momentary stops to load and unload only; it is a designated no-parking area.
- A few complimentary spaces inside the turning circle can be used for up to five minutes by vehicles ready to pick up an arriving passenger or drop off a departing one.
- Drivers who are early or whose passenger is delayed are asked to wait in the parking until the passenger is arriving.
- Taxis pick up at a taxi corral to the right of the mainland pavilion, at the foot of Eireann Quay.
- Rideshare uses a separate area along the curb by Little Norway Park, in the finger lanes.
So when you come up from the tunnel, the pre-booked car will be at the pavilion curb or in the turning circle, not at the taxi corral or the rideshare lanes.
How does the chauffeur time your arrival pickup?
By your flight, then by your message. The chauffeur tracks the flight and is nearby at landing, but does not sit at the curb, because the airport does not allow waiting there. Included waiting starts at actual landing: 30 minutes on Canadian domestic and US flights and 60 minutes on other international arrivals, then 15-minute blocks with a message first. Billy Bishop is small and many passengers travel with carry-on, so the gap between touchdown and the pavilion door is often short. That is why the most useful thing you can do is send a quick message as you step onto the moving walkway. By the time you come up into the pavilion, the car is pulling into a five-minute space, and the chauffeur's reply tells you the car, plate and spot.
How does the tunnel compare with the other ways across?
| Route from the mainland | How it works | Typical time | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian tunnel | Elevators down, four moving walkways, escalator or elevators up | Under 6 min curb to check-in, per the airport | Most passengers, rolling luggage | Queues for elevators at peak banks |
| Passenger ferry | Electric ferry across the Western Channel | About 90 seconds crossing | Those who prefer open air | Waiting for the next crossing |
| Stairs at the island end | 153 steps up to the atrium | A few minutes | Travellers without heavy bags | Not for heavy cases |
Who might find the tunnel walk harder than expected?
Most people find it easy, but plan ahead in these cases:
- Older passengers who walk slowly or tire easily.
- Parents with a stroller, car seats and two cases. The elevators and walkways help, but hands run out.
- Travellers with sample cases or displays, common on trade-show trips.
- Anyone using a mobility aid, who should request assistance from the airline or airport in advance.
We have a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, available when booked in advance. For passengers who can transfer to a seat, the chauffeur folds and stows the wheelchair or walker, and for anyone who must stay seated in a wheelchair or scooter, tell us about the chair at booking so that vehicle is reserved. Meet & greet, available at booking, means the chauffeur meets you at the pavilion and helps with bags between the curb and the tunnel entrance.
What about bad weather, fog and diversions?
The tunnel is indoors, which is its quiet advantage in a February storm: you walk across under the lake while the wind blows across the channel above. The flights themselves are more exposed. Fog off the lake, strong winds and winter storms can delay flights or divert them to Pearson, about 30 km and 30 to 50 minutes away by car. If your flight diverts, message us the new arrival point and the chauffeur goes there instead. Our cars run winter tires from November to April. The waterfront roads leading to Eireann Quay can be slow in snow, so on bad days we leave earlier for departures rather than rush the short drive. Forecasts are on Environment Canada's weather site.
How long should you allow at the airport for a departure?
The tunnel is quick, but it is not zero. Our rule of thumb for a departure:
- Take your airline's recommended arrival time and bag-drop cut-off.
- Add the drive: 10 to 20 minutes from the Financial District, 15 to 25 from Yorkville, 30 to 50 from Pearson or the western suburbs.
- Add 10 to 15 minutes for the drop-off and tunnel.
- On a game night at Rogers Centre or BMO Field, or a festival weekend at Exhibition Place, add 15 to 20 minutes more.
US-bound passengers should note there is no US preclearance at Billy Bishop; you clear US border checks when you land.
How do you find the car if your phone has died?
Come up into the pavilion, step out to the curb in front of it, where pre-arranged cars stop, and look towards the turning circle; chauffeurs usually step out of the car to look for their passenger. If you added meet & greet, the chauffeur waits at the pavilion with a name board, which removes the problem entirely. For first-time visitors to Toronto, that is often worth adding. Note the car colour and plate from the confirmation before you fly, so you can spot it even without a working phone.
Can you keep the car while you fly a day trip?
Not usually, because the car would sit idle all day. Most day-trippers book two transfers: one out in the morning and one back in the evening, each with its own fixed fare. Where the hourly chauffeur shines is the reverse: a visitor flying in to Toronto for the day. Our hourly chauffeur service keeps one car and chauffeur from a three-hour minimum, with extra time in 30-minute blocks, and returns the guest to the pavilion for the evening flight. For the parking-versus-car decision on your own trips, see our post on car service versus parking at Billy Bishop.
What is near the pavilion if you are early?
The pavilion sits at the foot of Eireann Quay beside Little Norway Park, close to the waterfront trail and Queens Quay West. If you arrive very early for a flight, the island terminal has seating airside, and the waterfront is pleasant on a summer evening. For hotels within a short drive, see our waterfront hotels page. The public ferries to the Toronto Islands parks are a different service from the airport ferry and leave from a separate city terminal further east; our Toronto Islands page explains the difference. If your plans also need a hotel night or a flight, our travel desk can book it.
Does the free Union shuttle stop at the tunnel too?
Yes. The airport's shuttle page says the complimentary shuttle to and from Union Station stops on the mainland in front of the main terminal and passenger tunnel access building, at 2 Eireann Quay, so shuttle riders use the same tunnel entrance as car passengers. The downtown stop is at 44 York Street, on the west side of the Fairmont Royal York. For one traveller with light luggage who is already at Union, it is a sensible, honest choice. A pre-booked car makes more sense when you are starting from home or a hotel away from Union, when you travel with children or bulky bags, or when you land late and want the car waiting as you come up.
How do you book a car that meets you at the tunnel?
- Go to /book/ or use the engine on this page.
- Choose an airport transfer and select Billy Bishop (YTZ).
- Enter the flight number for arrivals so the chauffeur tracks it.
- Add passengers, bags and meet & greet if wanted, then confirm the fixed fare.
- Message the chauffeur from the moving walkway on arrival.
