Shuttle to Billy Bishop Airport: Every Way to Reach YTZ, Plus a Private Car

If you are searching for a shuttle to Billy Bishop airport, the short version is that a free bus leaves from beside Union Station roughly every 15 minutes. The longer version is more interesting, because the airport is reached by a free shuttle, a pedestrian tunnel and a 90-second ferry, and each suits a different traveller.

How do I get to Billy Bishop Airport?

The airport address is 2 Eireann Quay, at the foot of Bathurst Street on the downtown waterfront. The terminal is open from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm daily, and the airline check-in counters for Porter Airlines and Air Canada open at 5:30 am and close at 11:00 pm. The airport recommends arriving at least 90 minutes before your flight, though your airline's guidance takes precedence.

The airport lies on the western edge of the Toronto Islands, separated from the mainland by the Western Gap, a channel only 121 metres wide. That one fact explains everything about getting there: you cross water, whether you do it by tunnel, by ferry or on a bus that uses the tunnel access building as its stop.

Check your fixed fare

The free shuttle to Billy Bishop airport from Union Station, step by step

The shuttle is the answer for most people, and it is a good one. It is complimentary, it has Wi-Fi on board and it runs every day, including weekends and holidays.

1. Find the downtown stop on the west side of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, at the north-east corner of Front Street and York Street, directly across from Union Station.
2. Board the bus. The ride takes about 15 minutes, depending on traffic and road conditions.
3. Get off in front of the Main Terminal and Passenger Tunnel Access Building at 2 Eireann Quay, then use the tunnel or the ferry to reach the island terminal.

Buses leave about every 15 minutes, on a bump-and-go basis rather than a printed timetable. Frequency drops to about every 25 minutes at the edges of the day. As of 2026 the airport lists those periods as 5:00 to 6:10 am and 11:00 pm to 12:15 am on weekdays; 5:00 to 6:45 am and 8:45 to 10:30 pm on Saturdays; and 5:00 to 6:20 am and 11:00 pm to 12:15 am on Sundays. If your flight is the first or the last of the day, keep that in mind.

Because the stop is beside Union Station, the shuttle also connects to GO Transit, UP Express and VIA Rail, and our Pearson to Union Station page explains the train leg. You can step off the UP Express from Pearson, cross the street and be on the bus within minutes. Our Union Station page explains the station layout.

The pedestrian tunnel and the ferry

The tunnel

The tunnel opened on July 30, 2015, and it is free to use. It is about 853 feet (260 metres) long and takes roughly six minutes to walk, with elevators dropping about 100 feet from a pavilion at the foot of Eireann Quay. The airport describes the route from the mainland to the island terminal as under six minutes. It is the best choice if you are walking from a hotel in the Harbourfront or Entertainment District with a carry-on, because the buses and the wait are skipped.

The ferry

The electric ferry leaves from the foot of Bathurst Street, and the crossing takes about 90 seconds. It runs every 15 minutes, from 5:15 am until 12:07 am daily. Pedestrians ride free. Vehicles pay a return fare of $15 as of 2026, which matters if a car is crossing to the island for a pickup. Times can change with weather and ferry capacity, so build in a margin on winter mornings.

Between them, the tunnel and the ferry mean that a missed shuttle is a minor inconvenience. Everything about the crossing is described on the airport's To & From pages, including the shuttle and the ferry.

Taxi, rideshare and private pickup at the foot of Eireann Quay

The mainland pavilion and ferry terminal are the hub for road vehicles. Taxis drop off along the curb outside the pavilion and load from a taxi corral to the right of it. Rideshare vehicles pick up and drop off at the curb outside the pavilion, with no separate zone. Private pickups are directed by signage at the airport, and the airport lists curbside drop-off for private cars.

A private vehicle can also cross to the island, and pickups and drop-offs are possible on both the island and the mainland. Your Onroutz.ca confirmation states which of the two your chauffeur has agreed with you, so there is no hunting around a busy curb on a Monday morning.

Every way to reach Billy Bishop compared

Distances are short, so the real differences are the wait, the luggage and the weather. Times below run from a downtown hotel to the airport check-in.

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto lists the airport at about 2.0 km from its door, and that is a fair guide for the central hotels. Few journeys in Canada are this short, yet few are so affected by a single detail, the crossing.

When the shuttle to Billy Bishop airport is the right choice

Be honest about the free bus: for a lot of trips it is the best answer. You should take it when:

• You are travelling alone or as a pair with carry-on bags.
• You are staying near Union Station, the Financial District or the Fairmont Royal York.
• The flight is mid-morning to early evening, when buses run every 15 minutes.
• You do not mind a short walk through the tunnel.

If your hotel is on the waterfront, the tunnel on foot may beat any vehicle.

When a private car wins

A booked car is better when the shuttle plus the tunnel becomes work rather than convenience:

• A family with children. Stroller, car seats and carry-ons through a tunnel is not a morning anyone enjoys. Infant, toddler and booster seats are supplied when you ask for them at booking.
• Three or more travellers with checked bags. One car leaves the hotel door and stops where you ask.
• A very early or very late flight. The first buses run every 25 minutes, and the ferry hours are fixed.
• A business day. The Billy Bishop shuttle suits solo business travellers well, but a booked car lets you take the call, review the notes and arrive on a schedule.
• A trip that continues. If you are heading to a client in the suburbs, a car continues to Mississauga, Markham or Oakville without a transfer.

Flight tracking is included on every airport pickup, with 30 minutes' free waiting after domestic landings and 60 after international ones. A name-board meet and greet inside arrivals is available on request, and the fleet page shows which vehicle class suits your party.

Book this transfer

Landing at Billy Bishop: from the island to your hotel

The airport is served by Porter Airlines and Air Canada. The airport lists a preclearance page; ask your airline whether your flight clears US customs before departure, because that changes your timing and where you wait.

On arrival, domestic passengers collect bags and follow signs to the mainland crossing. Travellers coming from abroad should read the arrival guide for international visitors, which explains eTA, customs and kiosk steps at Canadian airports. A chauffeur can meet you inside arrivals with a name board and lead you to the car.

For a city hotel, the drive is brief. Our downtown Toronto hotel page lists drop-off notes for the Financial District, Entertainment District, Yorkville and Harbourfront.

Billy Bishop to Pearson: why there is no direct shuttle

Visitors often ask for a bus from the city airport to Toronto Pearson. The airport confirms that direct shuttle service between the airports is not currently available. The practical routes are the free shuttle to Union Station followed by the UP Express, which reaches Pearson in about 28 minutes, or a private car. By road the distance is roughly 30 km, usually 35 to 50 minutes, and 60 to 90 minutes on a weekday afternoon. Read the Toronto Pearson page for the details on that end, including terminals and doors, and the airport authority's own taxi and limousine page explains the walk-up queues.

If you are connecting between a Porter flight and an international departure, leave a long margin, because you have to leave the island, cross the city and clear check-in again.

Weather, seasons and service changes

The ferry and the shuttle both depend on weather and traffic. Winter storms, high winds on the lake and large events on the waterfront can slow things, and the airport warns that ferry times change with weather and capacity. A private car does not remove weather, but it does give you a single contact on the day, the 24/7 desk, who can re-time a pickup if a flight changes.

Events such as the Canadian National Exhibition in late summer or festival days downtown raise road traffic along the Lake Shore and Queens Quay. For TIFF in September, see our film festival transport page. For the wider region, Toronto and the GTA is the hub for all of our local pages, and Canada lists the rest of the country. Browse the full airport transfers index for other airports.