[Bojaxs]

Virgin Atlantic is returning to Pearson in 2025, with flights to London-Heathrow.

Virgin Atlantic returning to Toronto after two decades, with new flights to London. Here’s what that means for travellers

New flights between Toronto Pearson and London Heathrow won’t take off until next year, but ticket sales start next week.

www.thestar.com

Hopefully they're not "red eye" flights.

 

[nfitz]

I don't remember them flying to the UK. I did fly with them once to LA, around 2009. So much better than Air Canada.

Though now I think about it that was Virgin America not Virgin Atlantic.

 

[Voltz]

Hopefully they're not "red eye" flights.

Most flights to Europe are, otherwise you'll arrive in the middle of the night, and the return flight is inconvenient.

 

[kEiThZ]

Most flights to Europe are, otherwise you'll arrive in the middle of the night, and the return flight is inconvenient.

Air Canada used to have a morning departure to London. But it basically means an extra night at the hotel. Depart at 8am here. Arrive around 8pm in London. By the time you were out of the airport and downtown, it was about 11pm.

 

[nfitz]

By the time you were out of the airport and downtown, it was about 11pm.

And that was back when Air Canada was relatively reliable.

Probably be the wee hours of the morning if now.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Pearson's "LIFT" renovation plans mentions 1) a new interim terminal. A renovation or rebuild of the infield terminal? 2) renovation of T1/T3 and 3) Expansion of T1 facilities.

Unfortunate that current leadership is lacking in details regarding these projects.

Link here: Lift Program

 

[rbt]

Pearson's "LIFT" renovation plans mentions 1) a new interim terminal. A renovation or rebuild of the infield terminal? 2) renovation of T1/T3 and 3) Expansion of T1 facilities.

Unfortunate that current leadership is lacking in details regarding these projects.

Link here: Lift Program

Interim terminal is not infield. Airside bussing does not excite me as a passenger.

"Gateway" phase is additional piers on T1, but not necessarily the same layout as was originally proposed.

This was apparently published on April 12th at the same time as the announcement but I'm not sure anybody actually got it. Googling their CDN for Interim Terminal picked it up for me.

https://cdn.torontopearson.com/-/media/project/pearson/content/corporate/partnering/pdfs/pearson_lift_industry_forum_april_12_final.pdf

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Interim terminal is not infield. Airside bussing does not excite me as a passenger.

View attachment 573829

"Gateway" phase is additional piers on T1, but not necessarily the same layout as was originally proposed.

View attachment 573830

This was apparently published on April 12th at the same time as the announcement but I'm not sure anybody actually got it. Googling their CDN for Interim Terminal picked it up for me.

https://cdn.torontopearson.com/-/media/project/pearson/content/corporate/partnering/pdfs/pearson_lift_industry_forum_april_12_final.pdf

Thanks for this! How funny that the first illustration for the expansion of T1 virtually replicates the demolished T2 building.

 

[drum118]

I left at 11pm and was in Scotland by 8am. left at 7pm 2 hours late and in Rome by noon, Have never arrived during the night in Europe or from Europe,

 

[jje1000]

Thanks for this! How funny that the first illustration for the expansion of T1 virtually replicates the demolished T2 building.

Given their track record the 'interim' pier will probably be the permanent pier.

I would much rather have something permanent that at least continues the language of T1 even in a different layout rather than the assortment of bricolage they've been tacking to its eastern end over the last few years.

 

[Amare]

Given their track record the 'interim' pier will probably be the permanent pier.

I would much rather have something permanent that at least continues the language of T1 even in a different layout rather than the assortment of bricolage they've been tacking to its eastern end over the last few years.

Yup i'm very much of the same thinking. Knowing the GTAA, anything that's constructed in an "interim" fashion will be there for decades and decades without any form of further improvement.

For reference, this was the 2008 Terminal 1 expansion plan (which goes hand in hand with 1 of the images in what @rbt had posted):

Now below we look at how it evolved in 2015:

However it looks like the GTAA is planning on further watering down their already watered down plan. Below was the most recent version of the expansion plans (watered down from the above):

Now let's look at the even more (current) watered down expansion plan:

So essentially (although things have yet been finalized) the GTAA keeps reducing the scope of the expansion with each successive study they do. Pretty sad, especially when you take into account the original master concept:

 

[IRT_BMT_IND]

This plan almost makes me think the GTAA would have been better off extensively rehabbing the T2 building and turning it into a pier or satellite for T1 (with groundside access, check in, security, baggage claim, CBSA etc moved to the new terminal). Unlike the old T1 Aeroquay, T2 wasn't hopelessly outdated - the basic floor plan and passenger flows were more or less modern, and most airports have facilities of T2's age in daily use, usually upgraded or incorporated into newer buildings. It would be less cramped than the old T2 because the whole building would be airside (and the current ground level gates at T1 are worse than T2 was).