MARKHAM, Ont. - A busy airport north of Toronto is expected to close and the owners are considering trying to move to land set aside for the Pickering airport.
Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport in Markham will likely shut down within the next five years.
Derek Sifton, a spokesman for Toronto Airways, says the company reached a deal with Cadillac Fairview for an undisclosed amount.
Sifton would like to open talks about using the land set aside for the Pickering airport -- a project that has been dormant for years after fierce opposition.
He says Toronto Airways is also considering the current airports in Oshawa, Peterborough and Barrie as alternatives.
The Buttonville airport is the 10th busiest in the country and handles 170-thousand flights a year.
Sifton says his company is working on finding new homes for 350 airplanes and 300 employees.
Buttonville also currently houses a flight training school, pilot supplies, local and visiting pilot services and hangar and office space for rent.
Developer Cadillac Fairview owns malls across the country including Toronto's Eaton Centre, Pacific Centre in Vancouver, and Chinook Centre in Calgary.
