As the largest airport in North America, the Toronto Pearson International Airport serves the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) as a major hub, transporting millions of passengers across the world each year. The airport spans 1.2 million square feet, which in 2024 saw 46.8 million passengers pass through the airport headed for 194 global destinations. Now, with the tourism industry continuing to grow and air travel rapidly expanding, the Toronto Pearson International Airport is expected to see 65 million passengers travel through the airport by the early 2030s, and so it has outlined major plans to upgrade and expand its infrastructure to meet both current and future air transportation needs.
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Located in Mississauga, Ontario, the Toronto Pearson International Airport is a leading airport serving North America, encompassing 4-star certified facilities, two active terminals and a free inter-terminal train. The Airport’s primary terminals are Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, which is where the airport’s main operations take place. Terminal 1 has the current capacity to serve 30 million passengers each year. However, the terminal was not always this large, as in 2004, Terminal 1 was demolished, along with Terminal 2 in 2007. In place of these two terminals, the larger Terminal 1 that we see today at the Toronto Pearson International Airport was built, providing passengers with everything they need to support them on their journeys. Terminal 3 then has the capacity for 17 million passengers a year and works alongside Terminal 1 to deliver leading airport services to customers. Externally, the airport has 5 main runways and 30 taxiways serving key international airlines bringing passengers from across the world.
One of the vital infrastructural elements of the Toronto Pearson International Airport is the Terminal Link train. The Terminal Link helps get passengers smoothly and safely between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, as well as to the local hotels. Currently, the Terminal Link provides direct links to the Sheraton Gateway Hotels and ALT Hotel, as well as to the Viscount Station, including the Value Park Garage and Lot. The train link operates 24 hours a day, ensuring passengers can quickly and reliably get to and from the airport with journey times under 10 minutes.
Within the Toronto Pearson International Airport, passengers have access to a whole array of options, from places to eat to duty-free sections to peruse. Across both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, passengers can enjoy many of their favourite big-brand food and drink chains, as well as sections of smaller food and drink brands offering a plethora of cuisines and drink options to suit any appetite, and at any time of the day. Some guests can even enjoy the Plaza Premium Lounges, which offer a more premium experience with comfortable seating, amenities and complimentary food and drink. These lounges can be accessed with some tickets or with certain credit card schemes. Then, across the duty-free sections of the Airport, passengers can get a great deal and treat themselves to designer brands, cosmetics, fragrances, alcohol or even some sweet treats. Across all aspects of the Toronto Pearson International Airport, passengers and their experience remain the priority, and so the terminals have been designed to provide everything passengers could need to make travel easier and enjoyable.
However, with the tourism industry continuing to rise, the Toronto Pearson International Airport expects to see a vast increase in the number of passengers arriving at the airport each year. Therefore, the airport has set out a major redevelopment project called Pearson LIFT to help expand and upgrade the airport’s infrastructure to meet the future demands of the airport. A key reason for this upgrade is that many aspects of the port’s existing infrastructure are ageing, and so the airport is looking to deliver more sustainable solutions for its infrastructure, whilst also being built for the digital age. This focus on sustainability echoes throughout the Pearson LIFT redevelopment because, in line with the increase in passenger numbers, the demand for more sustainable air travel increases. Therefore, the Toronto Pearson International Airport is set on advancing its existing facilities for the future, with sustainability as a key aspect of its development.
The Pearson LIFT development is broken down into three major project development programs: Accelerator, T1/T3 Revitalisation, and Gateway. The first program, Accelerator, has already begun and is set on delivering a progressive built model to upgrade and revitalise the airport’s assets. In doing so, the airport aims to improve time performance whilst also advancing sustainability in order to accommodate near term passenger growth. The second program is the T1/T3 Revitalisation, which will focus on enhancing passenger experience within the airport. It will achieve this through investment in and development of Terminal 1 and 3, implementing modernised amenities and retail space. In doing so, the airport is set to implement more digitalisation across its terminals to meet passenger demands of the future. Plus, the T1/T3 Revitalisation will also focus on investing in optimised parking facilities and groundside access, to make the whole process from arrival to departure from the airport smoother.
The final program is Gateway, and is the future-focused aspect of Pearson LIFT because it is the aspect focused on how the airport will handle future expansion. The program will help the airport prepare for the significant growth that the airport is expected to experience in the coming years, and so Gateway aims to add new terminal space. This space is designed to accommodate an additional 15 million passengers annually, where it will provide world-class passenger experiences.
Once Pearson LIFT is complete, it is hoped that the project will bring billions in economic benefit for the airport, which will, in turn, support the local economy of Toronto in the process. Throughout the development, the project will create jobs and will offer local businesses key opportunities to participate in airport-related projects. Thus, with the continued investment towards the future under the Pearson LIFT development, the airport will strengthen its position as a thriving hub for travel and tourism, connecting passengers across the world with Canada.
As the Airport looks towards the future, significant growth is on the horizon, not only from the Pearson LIFT development, but from the continued expansion of the airport’s flight routes. In November 2025, the Airport announced that Porter Airlines had added 5 new non-stop routes from the Toronto Pearson International Airport to destinations across Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. These new routes will expand the airport’s flight offerings and strengthen its role as a vital connector within the region. This was preceded by Flair Airlines also implementing a new direct service to Mexico City from the Toronto Pearson International Airport the month before. The route will operate three times a week, offering vital connections between Toronto and Mexico. These new routes collectively highlight the growing reach of the Toronto Pearson International Airport, as it expands its route offerings to give travellers even more options when choosing the airport.
Overall, the Toronto Pearson International Airport is a vital hub for global travel, connecting passengers from Toronto to the world. With vital development projects underway with Pearson LIFT, the airport looks set to enhance its passenger services, bringing the airport into a new, modernised era to make air travel even more seamless. We look forward to seeing how these expansions will continue to enhance the airport’s position, and deliver the Toronto Pearson International Airport as a place where innovation, sustainability and growth will shape the future of air travel.
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