Signature Aviation Toronto and Pearson's FBOs: Ground Transport That Meets Your Aircraft

Signature Aviation Toronto and Pearson FBO ground transport: the short version

An FBO, or fixed base operator, is the private-aviation terminal at an airport. It handles the aircraft on the ground, with fuel, handling and a lounge, and it is where the passengers of a private or charter flight arrive and depart. At Pearson, the FBOs sit on separate parts of the airfield from the commercial terminals, so a car that goes to Terminal 1 will not find you.

That difference is the heart of this page. Ground transport for a private arrival has to cope with three things that a commercial pickup does not: a different location, a different customs routine and a different level of discretion. We handle the car and chauffeur side of that. Your pilot, broker or flight department handles the aircraft and its reporting.

This page is written for passengers, executive assistants, charter brokers and flight departments planning a Toronto arrival or departure. For general broker guidance across other airports, see our private aviation ground transportation page.

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The FBOs at Toronto Pearson

Several operators run business-aviation terminals at Pearson. Their own sites describe them as follows.

• Signature Aviation Toronto. Signature lists its Toronto facility at 2450 Derry Road East, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has a lounge and private conference rooms. A heated hangar is available for day use in winter, but there is no overnight hangar or overnight ramp parking, which matters if the aircraft is staying.
• Skyservice Toronto Midfield. Skyservice describes this as its main business-aviation centre at 6120 Midfield Road, with a client lounge and on-site customs clearing for international arrivals.
• Skyservice Toronto South. Located at 5455 Flightline Drive, and described as built for Skyservice's managed-aircraft clients rather than open to all transient traffic.

Services, hours and access rules change, and each FBO sets its own. Confirm with your operator before you travel, particularly the hours of its customs service. We deal with whichever FBO you land at, and we need to know which one in advance so that the driver knows the correct gate and the correct lounge.

Customs and immigration for private arrivals

Customs is the step that most affects when your car should be ready.

For a flight into Canada on a private, company-owned or charter general-aviation aircraft carrying no more than 15 people including crew, the pilot must phone the Canada Border Services Agency's Telephone Reporting Centre. The CBSA's general aviation page says the call is made at least two hours but no more than 48 hours before entering Canada, and a final call is made on landing. Nobody on board may leave the aircraft until the officer authorizes it. Flights with more than 15 people must arrange clearance with the CBSA office at the proposed airport of entry beforehand.

Signature's page also notes that on-site customs and immigration is available only during limited hours, Monday to Friday. That is a practical point if you plan to land on a weekend or at night: customs arrangements must be agreed with the FBO and the CBSA in advance, and your car's timing will follow that plan.

For foreign nationals, entry documents apply as usual. Travellers who need an eTA must have one before they fly. The Government of Canada's eTA page lists the fee as CAN$7 and says most applications are approved within minutes. US citizens do not need an eTA, and lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt. We cannot advise on admissibility, and your broker or flight department should confirm each passenger's documents.

How we meet you at the FBO

Arrivals by private aircraft run on a different clock from a commercial gate. Doors open when the border officer clears the aircraft, not when a baggage belt starts. So the car does not guess; it follows your aircraft.

We track your flight on every airport pickup, including private arrivals where the tail number and plan are provided. If wheels-down changes, the pickup moves with it. Waiting is free for 60 minutes after an international landing and 30 minutes after a domestic landing, which covers most customs sequences.

At the FBO, there are usually three ways to meet:

• At the FBO lounge. The chauffeur waits inside the private terminal or at its door, and walks you to the car. This is the simplest way and works for most passengers.
• At the kerb of the FBO building. The car is parked at the passenger entrance and the chauffeur loads the luggage while you clear.
• Ramp-side. Where the FBO and the airport allow vehicle access to the ramp, a car can wait near the aircraft. This depends on the FBO's security rules and the airport's approvals, and it must be arranged in advance with the FBO. We do not promise ramp access that the FBO has not agreed.

Name-board meet and greet is available on request. For privacy, an alias name can appear on the board.

From the FBO to where you are going

Pearson sits west of downtown Toronto. Most onward trips use Highway 427 and then either the Gardiner Expressway or Highway 401, and the FBOs are a short drive from those roads.

The commercial-terminal train is shown for completeness, not as a recommendation. A passenger who has just stepped off a private aircraft has no reason to cross the airport to take it.

Typical routes from Pearson

These are the trips we are asked about most from a Pearson FBO. Times assume normal traffic and increase at weekday rush hours.

• Downtown Toronto and the Financial District. About 27 km. See the Pearson to downtown Toronto transfer and the downtown hotel transfers page.
• Union Station. About 27 km. Useful for passengers connecting to rail. See the Pearson to Union Station transfer.
• Niagara Falls. About 125 km and around 1 hour 30 minutes, according to Niagara Falls Tourism. See the Pearson to Niagara Falls transfer.
• Further destinations. Barrie, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, London and Kingston are all served from Pearson, and you will find them in the transfers directory.

For a fuller picture of the commercial side, including terminals, see the Toronto Pearson airport page.

What to send us before you land

A short list makes the handover smooth, and most of it is already in your trip sheet:

1. The FBO name and the aircraft tail number, so we can track the real arrival.
2. The number of passengers, and the number and size of bags, including golf clubs, instruments or garment boxes.
3. The first destination and any later stops, so the vehicle class fits the day.
4. Whether anyone needs a child seat, a booster or step-free boarding.
5. Whether a name board, with an alias if wanted, is required at the lounge.
6. The contact of the person who will be at the FBO, so the chauffeur can reach the right phone if the plan changes.

Discretion, security and working with your team

Private-aviation passengers often care more about privacy than speed. Chauffeurs never photograph clients or post about trips, and will sign an NDA on request. NDAs are available on request. We use alias names on name boards when asked, and we do not name clients or share trip details outside the booking.

Onroutz.ca is a transport service, not a security company. We do not provide armed drivers or bodyguards. When your principal travels with a security team, we work alongside it: we share the route and timings with the team lead, we agree a pickup point with them and we follow their instructions on where the vehicle stops. Vehicles such as the A Maybach, Rolls-Royce, stretch limousine or armoured vehicle can be arranged on request, with availability confirmed at booking.

For passengers whose profile calls for particular care, see the VIP transportation page.

For brokers and flight departments

Charter brokers and flight departments are a core use of this page. Corporate accounts with monthly invoicing are available, and multi-leg itineraries can sit on one booking: the arrival at Pearson, a hotel drop, a day of hourly service, and a departure back to the FBO. You get one confirmation, one invoice and one 24/7 desk to call.

If you manage flights across several airports, the same service model applies in other cities. Our Teterboro page covers the New York area, and the private aviation hub lists the others. Outside Toronto and the GTA, rides are delivered by vetted, licensed and commercially insured local transfer partners, and are booked, confirmed, supported and invoiced by the Toronto desk.

Vehicles, booking and cancellation

Vehicle classes are the Executive Sedan and First Class Sedan for up to three passengers, the Luxury SUV for up to six with five or six large bags, and the Executive Sprinter for up to 12 passengers. All are "or similar", and the exact model is confirmed at booking. See the fleet.

Enter the FBO, your destination and the vehicle in the booker, and the fixed all-in fare is displayed before you pay. Cancellation is free with more than 72 hours' notice; 72 hours or less is 10%; 48 hours or less is 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show is 100%, counted from the scheduled pickup.

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